The trainer of Grand National runner Hill Sixteen, who suffered a fatal fall at the first fence, has blamed "ignorant" protesters who delayed the race starting for the fall.
Merseyside Police arrested more than 100 people after they attempted to gain entry to the track ahead of the Randox Grand National on Saturday. Dozens of activists climbed fences at Aintree, with at least two affixing themselves to a fence using glue and lock-on devices, climate and animal rights group Animal Rising said.
The protesters breached security fences as the National runners were in the parade ring, causing a delay of around 15 minutes to the feature event, which eventually got under way at 5.29pm. Out of 39 runners, 17 horses finished the race with the Sandy Thomson-trained Hill Sixteen suffering a fatal fall at the first fence, adding to the deaths of Dark Raven earlier in the afternoon and Envoye Special on Thursday.
