I WROTE a piece in this paper in October regarding the latest changes to the Grand National and welcomed the reduction in field size in particular. With the way the race played out, I’m happy to say the standing start (while not quite standing) and shorter run to the first fence were both justified.

The best horses came to the fore and any one of seven or eight horses had a winning chance at the final fence, so it’s hard to say that the 2024 Grand National wasn’t a resounding success.