The long-standing tradition of having reserve runners in the Grand National for last-minute issues was taken away from us in 2023.
There was no real reason for it other than the logistics of being able to handle having more than 40 runners, which seems quite puzzling but caused a whole host of problems in the 2023 Grand National.
Due to the limit of 40 being in place at that time, runners who entered the race as a reserve were added in the racecard position of the runner they replaced.
So, we had situations where horses were in a position but carrying a much lower weight than the number around them, leading to plenty of confusion. The fine are of handicapping in horse racing ensures that runners are in weight order in the racecard, but this was not the case due to being unable to go over 40 runners.
With the reduction in field size for the Grand National it means that reserves can now be added back in and done so in the proper manner.
This should lead to more chance of a full field going to post, and on top of that, these reserves will be in their rightful place, as numbers 35, 36, 37 and 38 on the racecard, which is where they should be.
New Reserve Procedure Gives Us Every Chance of Maintaining 34 Runners
The new limit for runners in the Grand National is set at 34, which is its own talking point, without even thinking about runners. But the most important part of this, is that we now have more chance of seeing 34 runners in the race, thanks to reserves.
In terms of the replacement procedure, this remains the same. Horses pulling out of the Grand National in the time period from declarations being made, 10 am Thursday, until Friday 1 pm, the cut-off, can be replaced by a reserve.
The 2024 Grand National, which was won by I Am Maximus, saw just 32 runners in the race. The new reserve procedure would not have made an impact, as both non-runners were withdrawn on the morning of the race, but it definitely gives us more of a safety net.
When the move to 34 runners for the race was announced, it was met with displeasure from plenty of different angles.
Firstly, those who were going to be denied a run and, secondly, from punters who were no longer going to see a huge field going to post, part of what makes this a special race.
While there’s still a definite possibility that the field level goes under 34, which would be really disappointing to see as a spectacle, this move to include reserves once again certainly lowers the chances of that.
On top of this, they will be correctly numbered and displayed on racecards, so we shouldn’t have anywhere near the level of confusion around reserves we’ve seen in the past.