celebre D'allen, who will be champion & changing rooms.

​The controversy I predicted over the sad death of Celebre D’Allen after his run in the Aintree National has now come to the fore. Obviously, though as someone who steers a clear passage from social media, how would I know, was initiated on X and other gobshite platforms for the ignorant to air their views and has now reached the more refined and reserved pages of the Racing Post.
The facts that have come to light is that the cause of death was not as a direct result of an exercise-associated episode. He had recovered from his exertions and his death was caused by bacterial respiratory infection, which though undetected from blood tests taken post-race, must have been, I imagine, lurking in the shadows, as it is when humans are incubating cold and flu viruses.
Michael Nolan has turned away from social media, not surprisingly, given the apparent abuse directed his way. He is said to be heartbroken by the death of a much-loved member of the Hobbs/White stable. He is also annoyed that people have accused him of something that did not happen, with even Scott Burton’s report on the incident in today’s Racing Post getting the time-frame wrong.
Celebre D’Allen had run a storming race, which should not be forgotten. He was a thirteen-year-old unconsidered outsider who had taken up the running at a stage of the race when only possible eventual winners were around and behind him. Two-out, Nolan thought he might win the Aintree National, a few yards from the fence he could feel the horse emptying. At that point most jockeys would have done what Nolan did, try to coast home as there is prize-money down to tenth-place. He popped the last and pulled-up. If he were not so distraught after the race he would have lodged an appeal against his ten-day ban, a ban that stoked the controversy. Celebre D’Allen did not collapse straightaway but a full 3-minutes afterwards– Nolan’s proximation of the time passed – time for Nolan to run up to where buckets of water were available. The horse was still standing when Nolan emptied the bucket of water over the stricken horse. The horse collapsed shortly afterwards.
Given they should have been aware of the firestorm of abuse and ignorance that would follow issuing Nolan with a ten-day ban, the stewards would have served the race and the sport to better effect if they have referred the matter to the B.H.A. so that all the facts were at hand before judgement was passed down. Instead, they threw Nolan to the wolves.

I am team Skelton. How about you? Skelton is though looking like the lamb in wait of the crocodile. 1/12 on to be champion before Aintree, Skelton is now second-favourite, with Mullins 1/4 on to retain his title.
In my opinion, and I thought this for many years, there should be two titles at stake, one for the most winners during the season and one for the most prize-money won. Doing the double might become a prize bigger than winning either category and become an accolade similar to a football team winning both the Premiership and the F.A. Cup. Mullins would never achieve the double as his form figures this season tells us. 29-winners from 143-runners as of today, with the majority of those 143-runners no doubt bringing home prize-money when beaten by a stable-mate at Cheltenham and Aintree.
Willie Mullins deserves to retain his title but I still want Skelton to hang-on. He has led the field for so long. If Mullins gets his head in front for the first time since he nabbed the lead off Skelton last season, it will be as heart-rendering as when Red Rum collared gallant Crisp yards from the winning post in the 1973 Grand National. Skelton has had more runners this season than Henderson and Nicholls combined, that is some effort, and it deserves its reward. Come on Team Skelton!

In his usual measured and inimitable way, Lee Mottershead has highlighted over the past few days the appalling facilities that jockeys must contend with at most of our racecourses. And if male jockeys have it bad, their female colleagues have it far worse. Jockeys having to use an exercise bike housed next to a row of urinals and female changing facilities the size of cupboards, are just two instances of what Mottershead has exposed.
By the end of 2026 every racecourse was expected to have separate changing facilities for female jockeys. Only fifteen have complied and of that number only York and Newmarket (July course) of our apex racecourses are on the list. Beverley, Brighton, Fakenham, Newton Abbot, Leicester, Musselburgh, Pontefract, Southwell, Stratford, Ripon, Taunton, Warwick and Worcester – take a bow. Applause, please. Not Ascot nor Cheltenham.
2026 has become 2030 as the new deadline, yet Ascot, as an example, boast of throwing hundreds of thousands of pounds to bulkup up prize-money for the Royal meeting.
Now she has retired, though in private she was actively attempting to get things done, Hayley Turner is now happy to have her voice heard on the matter. Hopefully she will continue to bang the drum on behalf of her former colleagues. 
I am always surprised by the cost of building even the smallest facility but if Fakenham can afford separate changing areas for females and males, plus a neutral valet space, how come Ascot, Cheltenham, Aintree and Newbury cannot? Jockeys need to be more pro-active. Perhaps stage a protest during racing. Invite the press or the public to view the spaces in which they, as supreme athletes, must prepare themselves for major aces. Mottershead has prepared the ground, now jockeys and their association must press ahead and start putting the feet of officials to the flame.