Grand National had to change to survive, says former winning jockey

Aintree’s most famous race has undergone sweeping change since the mid-1990s, and according to Mick Fitzgerald—who steered Rough Quest to victory in 1996—those alterations have been vital to the Grand National’s continued existence. Speaking to AFP, the former jockey said the contest is now a radically different test from the one he conquered almost three decades ago, stressing that organisers had little choice but to modernise. You have to evolve or you die, Fitzgerald warned, underlining the imperative for racing institutions to adapt in an era of heightened scrutiny over safety and animal welfare.