Grand National horse deaths revealed as Broadway Boy has close-call heavy fall
There were fears for several horses during the 2025 Aintree Grand National, but only one died at the festival, while none suffered fatal injuries in the main race
During the 2025 Aintree Festival, one horse tragically lost its life, but no fatal injuries occurred during the main Grand National race on Saturday afternoon.
However, Broadway Boy and Celebre D’Allen did cause concern when they required assessment by expert veterinary teams at Aintree Racecourse. The race was ultimately won by Nick Rockett, with odds of 33/1, under the skilled guidance of amateur jockey Patrick Mullins. After an on-track examination, Celebre D’Allen – who had pulled up – was escorted into a horse ambulance by vets and has since returned to his stables for further checks.
Similarly, Broadway Boy received treatment on course following a heavy fall and was then taken back to his stable.
Due to the uncertain condition of both horses, the Maghull Novices’ Chase was postponed until the track was cleared. The event at Aintree soon resumed, with Kalif Du Berlais making a remarkable comeback with an impressive performance.
In the Grand National, thirteen horses were pulled up, with three more falling. Among those who fell was Paul Nicholls’ Kandoo Kid, who also brought down Appreciate It in the process, reports the Express.
Fortunately, both horses and jockeys emerged unscathed from this incident. Perceval Legallois, who had been well-backed throughout the week, also took a tumble.
Earlier in the Grand National Festival, Willie De Houelle suffered a fatal injury. The gelding fell at the sixth hurdle while competing in the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle on the first day of the three-day meeting.
The grey horse, ridden by jockey Rachael Blackmore, took a hard tumble, but thankfully she was deemed “okay” after being assessed in an ambulance on site.
Following the distressing event, Dickon White of The Jockey Club faced questions regarding the demise of Willie De Houelle and how the sport addresses safety to prevent such tragedies, with inquiries about the possibility of further enhancements.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, White declared: “Equine welfare is the number one priority for us at Aintree and across The Jockey Club. We’ll continue to look at ways of making racing here at Aintree as safe as it possibly can.
“We’re not afraid to make change. We’ll review every year and look at doing that. But horseracing is like the majority of elite sports – there is an element of risk to it. We’re very sad and [send our] condolences to the Ricci family. They had great success and have also lost a horse as well.”
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