Grand National updates on three injured horses as one in hospital with neck fracture
Mr Vango remains in equine hospital with a neck fracture after falling at Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree, with two other horses assessed following falls during the race.
Top Of The Bill and Quai De Bourbon were among the fallers in the 2026 Grand National, which was won by I Am Maximus(Image: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Health updates have been released on three horses injured during falls at the Grand National.
Mr Vango, Top Of The Bill and Quai De Bourbon all needed to be assessed after tumbling during Saturday’s race at Aintree in Liverpool. In a statement released on Sunday morning, Mr Vango’s trainer, Sara Bradstock, said she was hopeful the horse would ‘make a full recovery’ – but he remained in an equine hospital after sustaining an avulsion fracture in the neck.
The gelding, which came down at the sixth fence, was transported to Leahurst Equine Hospital on Saturday evening, where he will stay until he receives a clean bill of health, reports the Mirror. Speaking to the Press Association, Ms Bradstock said: “We’re still at the equine hospital, he does have a small avulsion fracture in neck, but it is nowhere near the vertebrae of his neck.
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“We have to thank God and hopefully with a bit of a following wind he will make a full recovery. We’re looking after him very carefully and we will give him a CT scan before I bring him home.
“It could take a while, but hopefully he will be OK. If the CT shows we haven’t missed anything, he could be home by the middle of the week.I’m super careful and we won’t take any risks, but he’s here with his Shetland pony and they are both OK.”
“There was a worry briefly last night, but we’re all a lot happier now and he’s moving around normally. I’m of course up here with him and Lily [daughter] is in with him giving him a brush.”
The trainer remained optimistic the fall might not signal the end of her imposing chaser’s racing career. She added: “There’s every chance he will be back next season, but there is a chip off the wing of his vertebrae so that has got to land in the right place.
“He’s happy, he’s moving his neck and the vets are quite happy with him at the moment. The CT will tell us if there is anything more sinister we haven’t found. But as things stand he could be back next year.
“He will be well looked after whatever happens and at worst he can go and live with his friend Coneygree. They would be some posse as they both think they are the king.”
In other developments, Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’ Top Of The Bill was another horse assessed on course following his fall at the final fence.
The incident resulted in his jockey Toby McCain-Mitchell – grandson of Red Rum’s trainer Ginger McCain – receiving a 10-day ban from stewards for failing to pull up when the horse had dropped well behind.
The horse was described as ‘A1’ on Sunday morning by his training yard, who also saw Beauport unseat rider Sam Twiston-Davies during the Aintree marathon.
“Top Of The Bill is home and has trotted up sound this morning and his heart rate is back to normal, so all is fine,” said Willy Twiston-Davies. “He’s absolutely A1. Our other runner Beauport is the same, so we’re all good.”
Willie Mullins’ Quai De Bourbon was the other horse examined after his tumble at the second fence, and was expected to begin the trip home overnight following the race.
