Update: Two horses die at Ayr racecourse after Scottish Grand National tragedy News

The Scottish Grand National went ahead as planned on Saturday afternoon but it was later confirmed that Macdermott and The Kniphand had both passed away

In a somber update from the Scottish Grand National, both Macdermott, last year’s victor, and The Kniphand have tragically died after failing to reach the finish line. Macdermott had pulled up before the conclusion of the race, while The Kniphand took a fall in the latter stages.

Saturday’s event at Ayr started with Olympic Man tipped as the 15/2 favourite. It was Captain Cody, however, with odds at 9/1, who took the win, trained by Willie Mullins and guided by jockey Harry Cobden.

Klarc Kent nabbed second place with Our Power in third. Completing the top six were Grozni, Rock My Way, and Flash De Touzaine.

Yet, the races were overshadowed by the loss of Macdermott and The Kniphand.

The sad announcement came via Racing TV’s X (formally known as Twitter) page, where they shared their condolences: “Heartbreaking news. We sadly lost both Macdermott and The Kniphand at Ayr. Our thoughts are with connections,” reports the Express.

ITV Racing paid tribute as well, stating: “We are sad to report that after the Scottish Grand National, both MacDermott and The Kniphand have passed away following the race.”

They added: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the connections of both horses.”

A wave of tributes and some critiques of the sport ensued on social media following the revelation of the horse fatalities.

In a further blow, it has been reported that jockey Harry Atkins was sidelined for the remainder of the day due to a knee injury sustained during a fall from the 28/1 outsider Snipe.