I've no idea why such a thread does not exist, so I've taken the liberty of making my own. Here's a link to pics etc at the official Aintree website. :cheers:

http://www.aintree.co.uk/news/aintree_redevelopment_project.html

no recent updates ont hat page?The last pics were from August last year

I noticed that as well, albeit after I made the frigging thread! :bash:

They're nearly finished now BTW. It'll be complete by the Grand National. :)

The £35 million scheme, which culminates in an equestrian centre of international standards, a parade ring and two new grandstands.

The development of Aintree International Equestrian Centre will provide a unique facility, combining a subsidised riding school for local communities with an international standard show centre that is expected to attract major equestrian competitions and events.

The parade ring, Winner’s and Unsaddling Enclosure, will be relocated to ensure the theatrical part of race day activity enjoys a more central location and will include a new Weighing Room and Stable complex.

The two new permanent grandstands will replace and enhance the temporary facilities currently used during the John Smith’s Grand National - one of the regions major tourist attractions.
Steven Broomhead, NWDA Chief Executive, said: “Aintree Racecourse is one of the Northwest’s major tourism assets, attracting 200,000 visitors to the region every year. The new facilities will significantly improve the race goers’ experience, enhancing the existing tourism offer. The new international equestrian centre is particularly exciting, as no other such venue exists in the North of England. This new facility is set to attract international events and will make a significant contribution to the regional economy.”

Charles Barnett, Aintree Racecourse Managing Director, said: “The John Smith's Grand National is broadcast to over 600 million people worldwide and is an ideal platform on which to showcase Liverpool to the rest of the world. We believe this new development will provide some of the best racecourse facilities in the world, encompassing the fantastic opportunities that lie ahead for Aintree.In addition to the new Grandstand and Weighing Room Complex, the unique equestrian centre will provide a platform for Aintree to develop other world-class equestrian events.”

I noticed that as well, albeit after I made the frigging thread! :bash:

They're nearly finished now BTW. It'll be complete by the Grand National. :)



well,it does look good though

The grandstands get handed over today, ready for the Grand National next month. Here's a map.

It's the two corner stands and the new parade ring/media centre area that is part of the redevelopment:
http://glorydaysonline.co.uk/z/des/z/sta/z/hen/z/aus/inc/asp/chunks/horse-racing/grand-national/i/map-large.jpg

Aintree is not the only racecourse to have a facelift.

Epsom

http://www.epsomdowns.co.uk/GrandstandHub.ink

Great Leighs : First new racecourse in England for 80 years

http://www.greatleighs.com/gallery.php?id=1

Doncaster

http://www.greatleighs.com/gallery.php?id=1

Great article on the new stands at Aintree and some good piccies .

http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=583&storycode=3083429&c=0

http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/8797/12projects5rj9.jpg

More photographs from that article

http://www.building.co.uk/Pictures/436xAny/q/u/b/12projects1.jpg



http://www.building.co.uk/Pictures/316xAny/t/u/x/12projects2.jpg



http://www.building.co.uk/Pictures/web/o/r/s/12projects3.jpg

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/1124_1_1000%20BDP%20Aintree%201.jpg

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=1124

I was in one of the lounges at the new stand today for a Uni exam. It's an impressive development.

Here's the part connecting the two stands:

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/1124_2_1000%20BDP%20Aintree%202.jpg

It's a fantastic development,the views over the racecourse from the grandstand are outstanding.:cheers:

I agree with eyeam and Paul D - this is a great development, which up until a week ago only received 9 posts on this thread.

Maybe it's because it was hard to follow the development as it was more or less out of view in the race course grounds - but it's a class act.

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/1124_3_1000%20BDP%20Aintree%203.jpg

^^

Oh for a sniper!

I was at Aintree recently at a conference. A senior boffin from the council there welcomed us all, before proceeding to lay into people who thought the racecourse was in Liverpool. He was going on and on about Sefton and it's independance.

Strange.

I agree Joe. Johnny Mac needs a bullet or 345, though the filly he's blabbering to has a fine rear quarters.

Bugs. Spazzy parochialism at it's finest mate. Grew up in Netherton *shudder* and have never ONCE considered myself a bastard Seftonian. They're from the small village by the tip IMO.

Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Aintree, 1955

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/stirlingmoss_juanmanuelfangio_silverstone_1955.jpg

Link (http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/07/06/ten-of-the-best-british-grands-prix/stirling-moss-juan-manuel-fangio-aintree-1955/)

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/1124_4_1000%20BDP%20Aintree%204.jpg

http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/1124_5_1000%20BDP%20Aintree%205.jpg
World Architecture News (http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=1124)

the grand national has fully sold out for the first time in over 30 years,
great stuff.

^^

I was fearful about there being a poorer turnout than in recent years but that is excellent news. Also there was a record first day crowd of 29,948 on day 1 at Aintree (up from 26,341). :banana:

http://www.horsedeathwatch.com/

Some sobering 'statistics'.

^^
Your link makes for sad reading.

I'm against horse racing and don't care what it adds to the economy.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/04/09/article-1375210-0B8DF57900000578-709_970x815.jpg
Tragedy: Dooneys Gate, in the centre of the picture one of the race's two fatalities ridden by Paul Mullins, falls at Becher's Brook

Source - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1375210/Grand-National-2011-Ballabriggs-wins-day-drama-Aintree.html

Terrible, it just hurts one`s soul

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/04/09/aintree-set-for-record-breaking-2011-grand-national-day-100252-28488959/


Aintree record-breaking 2011 Grand National day

I think even more than the fatalities what exposed the cruelty yesterday was the near state of collapse of the winning horse,which had been whipped to the winning post.

I think even more than the fatalities what exposed the cruelty yesterday was the near state of collapse of the winning horse,which had been whipped to the winning post.

I agree, it was (and always is) disgraceful. Why can't this race be re-designed so it's not so cruel to the horses? Would it cease to be fun for spectators if it was safe? And what does that say about the spectacle itself?

Don't know DM, and i know you've voiced your opinions on this before. I just think that a worldwide audience seen the barbaric side of this 'sport' yesterday so maybe something will change, although with the amount of money and the people who are involved, i doubt it very much.

How would you propose to make it totally safe? Is it possible? I don't believe that it is. These equine athletes are an absolute joy to behold and any fatality is clearly abhorrent in the name of sport. So do we ban it?

But if we look at it, it is not merely the size of the fences that is responsible as is exemplified by the number of fatalities over ordinary fences at the other National Hunt racecourses. Fatalities happen over the much smaller hurdles which even have some "give" in them and even on the flat although obviously these will clearly be considerably fewer.

Modifications have been made to some of the fences at Aintree in recent years to make them safer. Furthermore, almost two thirds of the fatalities are not even at the course but occur on the gallops in training.

It is clearly not the extreme distance as the two fatalities were on the first circuit in the first mile and yesterday's winner's distress was due to the unseasonably high temperatures and I'm not aware of other horses being in such distress in "normal conditions".

Course conditions were obviously on the quick side which was probably the biggest contributory factor so more watering might have helped. So it is a multitude of factors - speed, size, distance, course conditions etc.

I don't have the answer other than the outright banning of the sport. Some may see this as preferable to any loss of life.

^^ The point really is ,the forcing of an animal to beyond its natural limits to the point of death for entertainment. That's got to be morally wrong in anyone's book.

Horses will pull up, refuse to jump, ignore the jockey and take it easy if they're not happy.

National Hunt horses are bred and trained to compete, it's in their DNA and it's reinforced through training and development. These aren't dumb animals forced to run and jump by a 10 stone Irishman with a whip.

Are you serious? what do you think the whip's for..Jesus Christ. That winner yesterday was nearly going to run itself death because it enjoyed it? if it was left alone in those temperatures it would be sitting in under a tree in the shade i'm afraid.

Even there, there have been some strides made to promote more ethical treatment of horses.

These rules dictate where on a horse a whip may be used, use must not be of excessive frequency. They must not be used on horses who are clearly winning, out of contention or non-responsive. Whips are also now padded which open the debate that if they are so well cushioned as to cause the horse little or no discomfort, why have them anyway?

Some progress but whether it is sufficient is again open to debate.

I'm clearly not qualified to answer these questions, but these more humane initiatives are worthy of note. What is bizarre is that the veterinary organisation (Royal College of Vets?) have no position on the matter.

Are you serious? what do you think the whip's for..Jesus Christ. That winner yesterday was nearly going to run itself death because it enjoyed it? if it was left alone in those temperatures it would be sitting in under a tree in the shade i'm afraid.

It's not a nag in a field GV.

Athletes, human and equine do push the limits, sometimes to the point of death. The horses are bred and developed in to it.

I wouldn't near kill myself doing a marathon, climbing a rock face without safety kit or walking to the North Pole etc. but some people do for all sorts of reasons.

It's still horrible but there's context above and beyond simple animal gets beasted by human.

^^Toad, it's an emotive issue. I personally think if it wasn't such a global industry with some of the richest people on the planet involved in it, with bilions at stake, it wouldn't exist in the form it does today. Anyway,we're all entitled to our opinions and i respect others people's views on it.:cheers:

It certainly wouldn't GV. Top class racing a fantastic spectacle but, like seemingly everything else these days, it's driven by money.

National Hunt will never be safe, making it challenging while mitigating risks as best as possible is and should continue to be a priority.

Peter Toole is in a medical induced coma after his fall at the first, he's in a bad way. It's a rough business and the horses are jockeys are absolute warriors, it's got to be something to do with "survival of the fittest" that still induces man and beast to do things that aren't actually necessary.

Even there, there have been some strides made to promote more ethical treatment of horses.

These rules dictate where on a horse a whip may be used, use must not be of excessive frequency. They must not be used on horses who are clearly winning, out of contention or non-responsive. Whips are also now padded which open the debate that if they are so well cushioned as to cause the horse little or no discomfort, why have them anyway?

Some progress but whether it is sufficient is again open to debate.

I'm clearly not qualified to answer these questions, but these more humane initiatives are worthy of note. What is bizarre is that the veterinary organisation (Royal College of Vets?) have no position on the matter.
''
Probably because they are the 'Royal' college; and like the royals, a lot of the membership hunt, or , certainly, live in communities where hunting takes place. Plus, they love nothing better than going to the Cheltenham Gold Cup - where they can network and re-affirm their social status.

I've found that a lot of 'horsey' people claim to love horses - but actually, have very hard-hearted approaches towards them, and to animals in general.

For a lot of people, animals have, merely, utilitarian functions.

The jockey riding the winning horse has been given a two race ban for excessive use of the whip. As far as I can see, the only purpose of the whip is to give a feeling of potency to the rider. I've seen jockeys furiously whip their horses for refusing to jump.

It certainly wouldn't GV. Top class racing a fantastic spectacle but, like seemingly everything else these days, it's driven by money.

National Hunt will never be safe, making it challenging while mitigating risks as best as possible is and should continue to be a priority.

Peter Toole is in a medical induced coma after his fall at the first, he's in a bad way. It's a rough business and the horses are jockeys are absolute warriors, it's got to be something to do with "survival of the fittest" that still induces man and beast to do things that aren't actually necessary.

The 'survival of the fittest' ideology is responsible for a good deal of ill in our culture.

To me, being human gives us the opportunity to move beyond our most basic instincts. Whichever impulse is fed, inside of you, grows accordingly. Our culture is predicated on this 'winner takes it all' philosophy; and these impulses are encouraged and rewarded.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/04/09/article-1375210-0B8E050300000578-787_970x179.jpg

Protestors renew calls for ban on Grand National after death of two horses
Liverpool Daily Post
Apr 11 2011

ANIMAL Aid director Andrew Tyler once again called for the Grand National to be banned after the deaths of Dooney’s Gate and Ornais.

New safety methods brought in three years ago led to two fences being omitted on the second circuit while the injured horses were attended to.

Ornais fell at the fourth and Dooneys Gate fell at the sixth, Becher’s Brook. Just 19 of the 40 starters finished the race.

Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler: “We’ve heard claims that the Aintree course is being made safer, safer, safer. No it’s not.

“The Grand National should be banned. It’s a deliberately hazardous, challenging and predictably lethal event.”

He said the race’s combination of a tightly packed field, high fences, long distance and huge crowd noise meant it was extremely dangerous for the horses taking part.

He added: “It’s a depraved spectacle, on a par with Spanish bullfighting. It is straight forward animal abuse.”

The League Against Cruel Sports said there have been 17 deaths at the National in the last 16 years.

Tony Moore, chairman of Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe (FAACE), said: “Whatever you do with National Hunt racing you can’t avoid horses being killed. You can’t make the Grand National better in terms of safety for the horses without getting rid of the Grand National.”

Julian Thick, managing director of Aintree, said: “All horses and riders in the Grand National have to meet very high standards set by an independent panel of experts. The Grand National is a well-organised and professional race. Only the best horses and the best jockeys are allowed to enter.”

Source: Liverpool Daily Post (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/04/11/protestors-renew-calls-for-ban-on-grand-national-after-death-of-two-horses-92534-28495744/)

Jockey Peter Toole remains in critical condition after Aintree fall
by Rob Pattinson, Liverpool Daily Post
Apr 12 2011

JOCKEY Peter Toole remains in critical condition following his fall at Aintree Racecourse.

The 22-year-old rider suffered bleeding on the right side of his brain when 100-1 shot Classic Fly fell at the first fence during Saturday’s second race, the Maghull Novices’ Chase.

Toole was taken to Fazakerley Hospital but was later transferred to Walton Neurological, where he was placed into an induced coma to help deal with serious head injuries.

A hospital spokesman said last night: “His condition is still critical but he is stable and remains in the critical care unit following his injury.”

Earlier yesterday, trainer Charlie Mann, to whom Toole is attached, said: “They need to give him a CT scan. They won’t wake him up until they have done the scan and if the CT is going to be late they’ll probably do it tomorrow, so there’s no change as it stands.”

The racecourse was forced to defend its safety record after the accident and the death of two horses in the Grand National.

Following the deaths of Ornais and Dooney’s Gate, animal rights activists called for a ban, while course manager Julian Thick said organisers were desperately sad, but added everything was being done to increase safety.

Source: Liverpool Daily Post (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/04/12/jockey-peter-toole-remains-in-critical-condition-after-aintree-fall-92534-28502821/)