The fallout from Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree has escalated further, with the official viewing figures signifying a significant blow to ITV. Nick Rockett won the race, spearheading a one-two-three for trainer Willie Mullins.
The Irish icon, whose son, Patrick, was on board the winner, was emotional post-race. However, Mullins’s legacy has not been the central talking point following the event. It was confirmed on Tuesday that Celebre d’Allen had died after collapsing at the final fence. Jockey Micheal Nolan had already been given a 10-day suspension following his ride on the gelding, having been deemed to have continued pushing the horse despite its exhaustion.
Jockey Patrick Mullins also had his National glory tempered. The Whip Review Committee analysed his ride on the 33-1 outshot and issued him an eight-day suspension for excessive use.
The adverse publicity has shone a negative light on the sport, which numerous animal rights groups have previously criticised. Aintree and ITV bosses now have further cause for concern with confirmation that television figures drastically dropped from 2024.
The audience watching on the station peaked at 5.3million. That’s around 1m down on last year’s race that was won by another Mullins horse, I Am Maximus, and ridden by Paul Townend.
The numbers represent a decline in interest since ITV first took over the coverage from Channel 4 in 2017. That year, the audience peaked at 8.2m, down some 1.4m from the 2016 version.
The latest figures have now essentially halved from when the BBC had racing’s most famous event. In 2004, 10.3m tuned in to see Amberleigh House romp home.
However, fan attendance in Merseyside was up by 8.9 per cent, with 130,000 racegoers piling in over the three days. That will be viewed as a heartwarming consolation for organisers following concern over the drop in crowd numbers at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
