The numbers are nearly as breathtaking as the sight of 34 horses soaring over Aintree’s famous fences. Before Saturday’s Grand National, a third of adults in Britain will place some sort of bet on the world’s most famous steeplechase. £150m will be wagered in total. And six million will then tune in for the spectacle.
But amid all the noise and fanfare surrounding the 177th running of the “people’s race”, organisers are increasingly engaged in a delicate high-wire act. Because the more they try to ensure the thrills come without horrific spills – and potential deaths – the more they upset traditionalists, who fear that the National has gone too soft.
