'Anyone who knows anything about horses knows it isn't going to work' - starting procedure slammed after Cheltenham false starts

'Anyone who knows anything about horses knows it isn't going to work' - procedures slammed after Cheltenham false starts

Carl Llewellyn decided to bring Party Politics to a halt at the end of the 1993 Grand National's first circuit

Carl Llewellyn: "Everyone is under pressure not to lose ground at the start"Credit: Edward Whitaker

Asking jockeys to come from too far back was on Saturday blamed for the false starts which bedevilled the Cheltenham Festival.

Racing professionals suggested it was unreasonable to require big fields of adrenaline-filled horses to walk long distances in an orderly fashion towards the tape.

Dual Grand National-winning rider Carl Llewellyn, now a jockeys' coach, said: "I was walking the course when the Ultima was starting, and I looked back to where the horses were and it was 200 yards, if not 300 yards, away from the starter.

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David CarrReporter

Published on 15 March 2025inCheltenham Festival

Last updated 17:08, 15 March 2025

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