• 8 months ago
The second day of the Festival is one of the most popular race days in the calendar and if you've ever been, you'll know why.
Transcript
00:00 Ladies Day at Aintree is like no other. The limelight shines not just on the champion horses and jockeys, but Liverpool's best dressed.
00:09 Renowned for its action on the course and entertainment and fashion of it, this is where big hearts meet big heels, where race lovers and fun lovers alike join for a day like no other.
00:19 We've been coming here for 30 years, never missing a year, so we love it and everybody is so friendly and we have a great time.
00:27 It's just renowned isn't it? I literally get glammed up.
00:31 It's all about the glam, it's something special. It's not something we do every week or even every year, but it's something of a special treat.
00:40 We've all come out and got done up and we're enjoying the day.
00:43 It's all stunning and everybody likes their own style. It's not about trying to conform to something, it's to wear your own style and be comfortable and that's really what makes it special.
00:53 A day marked in the calendar months in advance, Ladies Day is watched over the world, renowned for its famous race day fashion.
00:59 River Island is an official style partner at the Randox Grand National Festival of 2024, joining House of Cavani.
01:06 All race goers can enter their style awards and not only are the prizes up for grabs for best dressed, but for the first time the most sustainably dressed race goer is also being recognised.
01:18 The Jockey Club has made several changes to this year's Grand National to ensure the best possible welfare conditions for race horses and jockeys.
01:26 At Aintree alone it has spent £2 million on equine welfare investments.
01:31 Changes include reducing the maximum number of runners from 40 to 34, moving the first fence 60 yards closer to the start to slow the early stages of the race,
01:41 and levelling off areas at a number of fences to reduce the drop on the landing side.
01:46 Both the equine and the human welfare is so important and they've made lots of changes over recent years for the equine side of it.
01:53 And likewise we have in terms of the human side making sure that our jockeys are as well protected and as fit and as ready as they possibly can be for what is a really, really adrenaline junkie style of race really.
02:06 This year's Grand National marks 60 years since the formation of a national charity dedicated to the care and support of jockeys who get seriously hurt.
02:15 The Injured Jockeys Fund was founded in 1964 following devastating accidents involving Tim Brookshaw and Paddy Farrell in the Grand National.
02:24 Both falls resulted in severe paralysis which immediately ended both jockeys careers.
02:29 We work really hard with them before they race so that they are physically and mentally fit.
02:34 We support them with their protective equipment and with their concussion management.
02:38 So we're there right from the beginning all the way to the end.
02:41 We actually have three rehabilitation centres now across the country where we provide physio care, hydrotherapy support, nutrition advice.
02:49 It's a really holistic approach now and jockeys are actually very fortunate in this back up that they have.
02:55 The fund has since helped thousands of jockeys and their families.

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