UPDATE: |Grand National horse Celebre d’Allen dies after collapse News

His trainer confirmed the death on Tuesday morning, saying the horse deteriorated overnight

Celebre d’Allen, a horse that collapsed after the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, has died after his condition deteriorated overnight, it has been announced.

The 13-year-old, who was trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, was pulled up after the final fence before then collapsing on the racecourse.

Celebre d’Allen received treatment on course before walking into the horse ambulance shortly after.

The horse was taken to the racecourse stables for further assessment.

Mr White said the veteran was “very much going the right way” on Sunday after staying overnight at Aintree . The horse was later moved to a nearby livery yard to continue his recovery.

However, speaking on Tuesday morning, Mr White confirmed to the PA news agency that Celebre d’Allen has died.

“He had the best possible care, but he just took a downturn overnight and very sadly he’s passed away,” the trainer said. “It’s gutting for everyone here (at the yard), it’s very quiet here this morning as you can imagine.”

A statement issued by Aintree Racecourse read: “Celebre d’Allen was a much-loved member of Philip and Johnson’s team and all of us at Aintree are deeply saddened by today’s news.

“Those who look after British racing’s equine athletes every day have a unique bond with their horses and provide the very best care imaginable. Our thoughts are with everyone connected with Celebre d’Allen.”

Brant Dunshea, acting chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said: “All of us at the BHA are saddened to learn of the death of Celebre d’Allen following Saturday’s Randox Grand National. It has been clear to see since Saturday afternoon just how much the horse meant to his connections and we send our condolences to them today.

“As with all runners in the Grand National, Celebre d’Allen was provided with a thorough check by vets at the racecourse. This health check includes a trot up, physical examination of limbs to check for any heat, pain or swelling, and listening to the heart to check for any murmur or rhythm disturbance.

“This marks the final step in an extensive process of checks to ensure a horse’s suitability to race in the National, which also includes a review of veterinary records and assessment by a panel of experts to consider a horse’s race record and suitability to race. As part of this process the horse would also have been examined by the trainer’s own vet on the two occasions, a month apart.

“Celebre d’Allen received treatment from the team of expert vets after pulling up and then collapsing towards the end of the race. Having been immediately attended to by the teams on site, he was given all the time he needed to respond to treatment on course before being transported back to the first-class veterinary facilities at the racecourse stables, where he remained overnight, continuing to receive care and attention. He subsequently travelled to a nearby stud which was connected to the horse’s owners on Sunday, having shown improvement overnight.

“The BHA and Aintree racecourse will analyse the race and this incident in detail, as is the case every year and with every fatal injury in any race. This will include the horse being sent for post-mortem.

“The process of reviewing every fatality allows us to build on our existing data and help us understand how all reasonable avoidable risk can be reduced in order to keep our horses and riders as safe as possible. This process previously led to the changes that were made to the Grand National in 2024, including the reduction in the number of runners. Prior to Saturday’s race there had been no fatal injuries in the previous nine races run over the Grand National course since the 2023 National.

“The steps we have taken to improve safety over the years reflects the great respect we have for our horses, and our commitment to their safety.”

The stewards at Aintree suspended Nolan for 10 days (April 19-26 and May 3 and 5) after inquiring into his decision to continue to ride Celebre d’Allen after jumping the penultimate fence.