A tentatively positive update was offered on Broadway Boy after the horse suffered a horror fall during the 2025 Grand National at Aintree.

In total, only 16 of the 34 horses finished the always controversial race – where conversations around horse welfare only grow louder with each passing year – as 18 were either pulled up, unseated their rider or fell.

The most serious of those appeared to be Broadway Boy and Celebre d’Allen, who were both assessed on course by the vets. The fall of Broadway Boy, owned by Nigel Twiston-Davies, looked particularly sickening as he landed hard on his head and neck when tumbling awkwardly forwards at the 25th fence, Valentine’s Brook, having been leading the race by a length.

Around an hour after the race finished, an update was provided on Broadway Boy’s condition, stating that he had been treated on the course, assessed by vets and had walked onto a horse ambulance and returned to the stables for further assessment.

His jockey, Tom Bellamy, was unseated during the fall and landed on his knees, with it later being revealed that Bellamy was taken to a local hospital to be assessed.

ITV were criticised for not mentioning the fall for the remainder of the race or in the immediate aftermath and they then understandably skipped that fence during their full race analysis, with co-presenter Oli Bell saying that an update would follow as soon as there was news.

At 4.45pm, presenter Ed Chamberlin read a statement from the Grand National which stated: “Broadway Boy and Celebre D’Allen are being assessed by expert veterinary teams. Further updates will follow in due course.”

Celebre d’Allen had collapsed on the run-in of the race and it was later reported that stewards were holding an enquiry into the riding of the horse. Eventually, he too also walked onto a horse ambulance and was taken back to his stables.

The British Horseracing Authority later expanded on the statements, tweeting: “Both horses [Broadway Boy and Celebre d’Allen] received immediate and extensive treatment by the vets, also calling on the first class facilities and various teams on site. This treatment and assessment will continue into the evening.”

The Grand National was ultimately won by 33-1 outsider Nick Rockett, who held off last year’s winner I Am Maximus in a head-to-head battle down the home straight.

Victory meant an emotional triumph for the father-son duo of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Patrick Mullins, with Willie training five of the first seven horses home.