Dan McDonald

They changed the fences and they definitely modified and like 2011 had been bad as well, particularly grief stricken and beaters and a couple of the more traditional fences with the steep drops and stuff.

Look, they'd had their day, you know, and I completely understand why they had to change that.

but they probably hit then on a pretty acceptable formula over the next six years.

We had the, still the element of jeopardy and safe, you know, fallers, but like the race was a bit of a challenge.

Whereas now, 2020, I think it was up for review and they had a run over a couple of years where there was fallers early in the race.

And obviously then when the second circuit comes around, people see the screens and naturally that's a very public thing.

What's that all about?

So there was a couple, Hill 16 was 2023, which fell at the first.

And they have made changes now to reduce the field from 40 to 34.

And they are very sensible changes to reduce the distance running from the start to the first fence.

So they've shortened it because naturally people will be building up more speed.

And that's where stuff... So that was sensible enough.

But

Ultimately, they're at the stage now where I don't think they can control natural freakish events that will happen in horse races.

In fact, people who know racing will say there's better horses running in the race now.

Like not to use a sort of a rugby analogy, but there used to be all sort of like very slow, like that horse just so that I mentioned him a second, he was, his nickname was like just slow.

Like he couldn't win anywhere, but the Grand National was a slog.

He could jump the fences and he could have a chance.

Now it's all gold cup horses who are going fast.

You were talking like sort of,