Two horses have died in the Scottish Grand National – including last year’s winner.
The Willie Mullins-trained Macdermott set off at 16-1 looking to repeat his success 12 months ago at Ayr, but was sharply pulled up before the 10th fence.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ The Kniphand fell at the second-last fence and also suffered a fatal injury during a race in which only eight out of the 23-strong field finished.
Campaign group Animal Rising said the event was ‘nothing short of carnage’.
Activists criticised the sport after the tragic death of Celebre D’Allen in the Grand National at Aintree last weekend, while Broadway Boy continues to recover in Twiston-Davies’ yard after summersaulting onto his neck following a horror fall.
Harry Atkins, the jockey of Snipe, who came down at the seventh at Ayr, was stood down having been knocked unconscious in the incident.
The clerk of the course, Graeme Anderson, said: ‘All the jockeys are OK. Harry Atkins was stood down because he was knocked out but everybody else is up and OK. Unfortunately there were two equine fatalities, The Kniphand and Macdermott.’
ITV Racing posted on X: ‘We are sad to report that after the Scottish Grand National, both MacDermott and The Kniphand have passed away following the race.
‘Our thoughts and condolences are with the connections of both horses.’
More to follow.
