The horse Celebre d’Allen has died after collapsing on the Aintree course during this year’s Grand National.
The iconic race witnessed two horses suffer nasty falls on Saturday, prompting immediate veterinary assessment on the track. Broadway Boy and Celebre d’Allen were both injured after falling. Celebre d’Allen, ridden by Micheal Nolan and sent off at long odds of 125-1, was pulled up by his rider after clearing the last hurdle.
Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, the 13-year-old horse then collapsed. Both Celebre d’Allen and Broadway Boy managed to walk into a horse ambulance before being taken back to their stables for further medical attention.
It was also revealed that Nolan would face a 10-day ban after an investigation questioned his judgement in continuing to ride Celebre d’Allen after the penultimate obstacle had been jumped. And now it has been confirmed that Celebre d’Allen has died.
The horse’s owners, Philip Hobbs & Johnson White Racing, shared a short statement on X alongside a broken heart emoji. They said: “We’re heartbroken to share that Celebre D’Allen has passed away. He received the very best treatment by the veterinary teams and was improving.
“However, he deteriorated significantly last night and could not be saved. He was a wonderful horse and we will all miss him greatly.”
Aintree Racecourse also released a short statement. A spokesperson said: “Celebre D’Allen was a much loved member of Philip and Johnson’s team and all of us at Aintree are deeply saddened by today’s news.
“Those who look after British racing’s equine athletes every day have a unique bond with their horses and provide the very best care imaginable. Our thoughts are with everyone connected with Celebre D’Allen.”
The British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) has a fatality review process for when race horses die. The process sees them gather information from racecourse staff, the jockeys, trainers, trainer’s veterinary surgeon and relevant medication and training records.
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That data is then collated, analysed and reviewed by a panel of industry experts. BHA say more than £50million has been invested into advancing equine health, veterinary science and research since the year 2000.
BHA released a statement after the race on Saturday, saying: “Both horses received immediate and extensive treatment by the vets, also calling on the first class facilities and various teams on site. This treatment and assessment will continue into the evening.”
A report from the stewards revealed: “An inquiry was held to consider whether Micheal Nolan, the rider of Celebre d’Allen, had continued in the race when the horse appeared to have no more to give and was clearly losing ground after the second-last fence.
“The rider and the veterinary officer were interviewed, and recordings of the incident were viewed. The rider was suspended for 10 days.”
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