Racing: Aintree flags at half-mast
Flags at Aintree, the venue for the Martell Grand National on Saturday, are flying at half-mast following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
And racecourse chief Charles Barnett paid his own tribute to the ‘First Lady of The Turf’, who came agonisingly close to landing the Grand National with Devon Loch in 1956.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: ‘‘The support she’s given to National Hunt racing over the years has been fantastic for all of us and of course it laid the bedrock for developing the meeting at Aintree for what it now is.
‘‘She was a fantastic person to have there and had tremendous support from the local crowds, they all enjoyed seeing her.
‘‘She was friendly to everybody and that was really the nicest thing about her. Almost any one she saw she wanted to have a chat to, whether it was the jockeys or people coming for the day’s racing.
‘‘We haven’t had a chance to speak to the relevant people (about a suitable tribute) but there will be something we will be doing on Martell Grand National day and on the other days of the meeting as well.
‘‘When I rang the office last night they had already put the flags on her stand down to half-mast and that is something we will continue to do.’’
