More than 40 animal rights activists have been de-arrested after protesters stormed the Grand National, according to the campaign group Animal Rising.
Merseyside police said 118 people had been arrested following the disruption that caused a 14-minute delay to the world’s most famous steeplechase on Saturday.
Animal Rising, the group behind the protest, said on Sunday that 42 people had been de-arrested and a further 68 remained in custody.
They were arrested for a range of alleged offences including causing public nuisance and criminal damage. Scores of activists used ladders to scale the perimeter fences, with at least two fixing themselves to a jump using glue and lock-on devices.
The protest, in front of 70,000 spectators and a global TV audience of millions, came moments before Hill Sixteen died after falling at the first fence of the 175th Grand National.
The 10-year-old gelding was the third horse to die at the three-day festival after Dark Raven and Envoye Special earlier in the annual meeting.
Nathan McGovern, a spokesperson for Animal Rising, said on Sunday: “The actions taken at Aintree yesterday aimed to prevent harm from coming to horses in the Grand National, with Hill Sixteen sadly falling in the race itself – a death that would have been prevented if the race had not been run.
“Supporters of Animal Rising do not take the risk of arrest lightly, but taking action to protect animals and nature is more important than upholding business as usual.
“This is just the start of many peaceful actions to really create a national conversation about our fractured connection with animals and our natural world this summer, whether they result in arrests or not.”
The RSPCA said it would “urgently call” on the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) to review the circumstances of each of the deaths “so that we never again exit a ‘festival of racing’ with three dead horses”.
The charity has previously taken part in detailed reviews of the Grand National over concerns about the safety of the four-mile steeplechase.
But campaigners have called again for jump racing to be banned and for “much more stringent” safety measures to be put in place for the sport after the deaths at Aintree, which Animal Aid – an animals rights group – called a “prolific killer of horses”.
Animal Rising said “horrific, heartbreaking deaths” were the “inevitable consequence of exploiting these animals for entertainment – and it has to stop”.
More than 13,000 people had signed its petition to ban the world’s most famous steeplechase as the group promised that Saturday’s direct action was “just the beginning”.
The charity Peta said 36 horses had died at the Grand National festival since 2010, while Animal Rising said more than 49 horses had died at UK horse racing events this year alone.
The BHA said it would analyse the Aintree races, as it does every year, to understand what caused the deaths.
The chief executive of the BHA, Julie Harrington, said the fatal injury rate in horse racing had fallen by more than a third in the last 20 years, to 0.2% of runners dying.
She added: “Our thoughts are with everyone connected to the horses who suffered fatal injuries this week.
“No one will be more affected by this news than the trainers, owners and stable staff who have provided these horses with first-class care and attention throughout their lives.”
