Becher’s Brook among National changes

AINTREE will make changes to three of the Grand National fences following a substantial review into the iconic race.

The deaths of two horses in this year’s renewal led to huge criticism of the National, and the Aintree executive, along with the British Horseracing Authority, examined every race run over the fences at the spring meeting since 1990 – when Becher’s and Valentine’s Brook were last re-modelled.

The landing side of Becher’s Brook is again to be re-profiled, reducing the drop (the difference in height between the level of the ground on takeoff and landing) from the take-off side of the obstacle from between four and five inches.