Horses died during yesterday’s Grand National in one of the most ‘distressing’ races in recent history.
Millions of TV viewers saw Ornais fall at the fourth fence, breaking his neck, while Dooneys Gate broke his back minutes later at Becher’s Brook.
It meant that for the first time in the race’s history the two fences were bypassed during the second circuit of the Aintree track – as the horses were hastily screened off with tarpaulins.