Action taken over National pileup Action has been taken after the controversial pile-up at the Canal Turn during this year`s Martell Grand National, it has merged. The running of this year`s marathon was marred by heavy criticism after only four horses of the 40 starters finished and the race was run on very heavy ground which some claimed was unsafe. The pandemonium at the Canal Turn was caused after the Ferdy Murphy-trained Paddy`s Return unseated Adrian Maguire at the third fence. The blinkered nine-year-old veered in from the outside and cut across the main body of the field, putting 10 horses out of the race. The race was won by 33-1 chance Red Marauder, trained by Norman Mason and ridden by Richard Guest, with the only other finishers Smarty, Blowing Wind and previous winner Papillon. Modifications have been made ahead of the Tote Becher Chase at Aintree on Sunday in which the Mark Pitman-trained Smarty is expected to start favourite. Managing director Charles Barnett said: 'Normally, for the Becher Chase, we only use the outside half of the track because we don`t get enough runners to justify it. 'We have actually set up a rail at the run to the Foinavon Fence and the run to the Canal Turn fence, as it would be for the National. There is masses of room there.' Jockey Carl Llewellyn and trainers including Murphy and Len Lungo were involved in giving advice on the matter. 'It`s a slight realignment from how it has been in the past at the Foinavon Fence where we noticed the jockeys tracked across and were quite squeezed on the corner. 'We thought that, over the Grand National meeting, the jockeys tracked across rather more than we had noticed in the past, which caused squeezing. 'We are trying to help the situation for the riders.' Barnett stressed that the course was not trying to solve the Paddy`s Return problem by the realignment because that incident involved a loose horse. There were unlikely to be any extra run-outs because officials were not happy they would improve the situation and feared they could make problem worse. The results of an investigation into the National meeting are revealed in a Jockey Club report into the race made public today. The findings say: 'In the light of the pile-up at the Canal Turn, the possibility of running rail realignment and the creation of further run-out gaps will be investigated by the inspectorate and Aintree`s clerk of the course. 'However, initial feedback from some participants is that they are against any such gaps or areas. 'Concern was also expressed about interference caused by loose horses wearing blinkers. 'It is intended that the wearing of blinkers in such a unique race as the Grand National should be kept under review. 'A study of previous Grand Nationals showed that horses equipped with headgear have a worse completion record than those without. 'The speed of this year`srace was slow and there is no evidence that riders asked their mounts to go too quickly in the early stages of the race.' The report adds that officials agreed that racing should go ahead and the track was safe. This was endorsed by welfare organisations. The testing conditions contributed to higher-than-average fallers for the three races over the Grand National fences at the meeting. 'The completion rate for this year`s Grand National was generally in line with previous runnings on heavy ground,' says the report. Murphy today welcomed the modifications being made ahead of Sunday`s meeting. He said: 'It looks like it is ideal. They are pushing the horses further out into the middle of the track. The loose ones get to the front and this is where the problems are caused. The runners are cutting the Canal Turn at an angle. I think it will make a big difference.'
