Toulouse tumbles in Grand National

By Stuart Teather
CRANBOURNE-trained red-hot favourite Toulouse Lautrec crossed the line first in the Grand National Steeplechase at Flemington on Saturday, but did not win the race.
That honour went to Warrnambool Grand Annual winner Ginolad, as Toulouse Lautrec took a tumble early on and lost his jockey, Craig Durden, before getting up and running out the race on his own.
The fall rubbed salt to the wound that is the future of jumps racing, as just five of the eight starters finished the race.
Luckily, there were no injuries in the race and Toulouse Lautrec was only sore from the firmness in the track, according to trainer Chris Hyland.
“He had a bit of jarring to his front joints, but he’s pulled up all right,” he said.
“We just had the vet have a look at him, and gave him a clean bill of health.”
Hyland said he would consider sending Toulouse Lautrec to a showjumping course before letting him race again, saying the horse had some minor technique problems.
“He can be a bit awkward on occasion,” he said. “With the fall – he might jump a bit clearer next time, because it hurts.”
Hyland said while he was disappointed with the fall during the biggest race on the calendar, Toulouse Lautrec had had a good season up until that point.
It was the horse’s first loss over fences, after a superb season that included four consecutive victories, sending him into the race a raging favourite.
Toulouse Lautrec will now have a spell in the paddock, according to Hyland, and is unlikely to race in Japan later in the year.
Hyland said the fall was not ideal given the climate around jumps racing, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Two horses were destroyed after falling in the Grand National Hurdle the week before, and the future of the sport has come under a cloud.