CULLOTY: NATIONAL CHANGES B *****

JIM CULLOTY believes the changes made to the Grand National in recent years are “a complete and utter waste of time”.

A number of new safety measures have been brought in for this year’s race, including reducing the field size from 40 to 34, moving the first fence closer to the start and implementing a standing start to reduce the speed at which horses jump the first. The race time has also been brought forward from 5.15pm to 4pm.

The fences have been reduced in size in recent years in an attempt to make them safer for both horses and jockeys, with the materials used within them also less bulky than before.

However, Grand National-winning rider Culloty (inset) feels the changes, particularly to the size of the fences, are taking away from the race and that organisers are pandering to “do-gooders” by making them.

He explained: “I’ve never been asked by any of the people who made the changes, but I’ve been saying this to anybody that will listen. It’s an absolute load of b ***** because when you have big fences, people go slower. You make fences smaller, people just go faster. That’s what happens.

“So you’re going to end up with the same number of fallers etc etc and another thing because we have made fences smaller, people are now tempted to run mediocre jumpers in the National whereas back in the day, nobody would run a mediocre jumper in a National because you wouldn’t get around. They were all good jumpers.

“I think what they have done is a complete and utter waste of time. All they’ve achieved is that they’re taking from the race. They’re just pandering to the antis.”

NJIM CULLOTY was speaking on behalf of Newbettingsites. uk