Broadway Boy is ‘looking brighter each day’ after his terrifying Grand National fall, according to assistant trainer Willy Twiston-Davis. There were fears that the seven-year-old would not pull through after he landed on his neck during Saturday’s race, but after receiving veterinary attention on the course at Aintree, he got back to his feet and walked into a horse ambulance under his own steam.
Lingering fears that Broadway Boy’s condition could worsen were ramped up on Tuesday, when it was confirmed that another Grand National health scare had resulted in the death of Celebre D’Allen.
They have been eased by Twiston-Davis’ statement on X, which reads: “Quick update on Broadway Boy. He’s obviously still sore but the vets are happy with his progress. He’s getting all the care and attention possible, he is looking brighter each day [heart emoji].”
Grand National viewers feared the worst when Broadway Boy barely moved after taking the heavy fall at Aintree. Jockey Tom Bellamy was catapulted out of the saddle and was taken to hospital with a broken wrist.
Earlier this week, ahead of Broadway Boy’s return to his family’s stables in Gloucestershire, Twiston-Davis admitted there is still uncertainty around whether the bay gelding will eventually return to racing.
“It sounds a lot more positive and he’s coming home,” he said. “There’s going to be a couple of weeks of uncertainty for future racing. But it looks a lot more positive than it did [on Saturday] and the most important thing is our horse is coming home and should be OK.
“His welfare for the next few weeks is the most important thing and the vets at Aintree did a tremendous job. Laura Scrivener, who looked after him all night, was fantastic with him and our boy’s coming home.”
The positive updates on Broadway Boy come in sharp contrast to the devastating news of Celebre D’Allen’s death. Trainers Philip Hobbs & Johnson White initially told fans that the horse was ‘bright and breezy’ the day after being pulled up too late by jockey Micheal Nolan, who was hit with a 10-day suspension. But it didn’t last.
The trainers wrote on X: “We’re heartbroken to share that Celebre D’Allen has passed away. He received the very best treatment by the veterinary teams and was improving. However, he deteriorated significantly last night and could not be saved. He was a wonderful horse and we will all miss him greatly.”