Gold Dancer put down after winning at Aintree
"I was in the inquiry and gave evidence that looked into the incident - I was able to watch front on and behind - and the horse stayed as straight as an arrow and wasn't deviating off a straight line or being asymmetric, the back legs were following the front legs exactly. "It was only when they went past the finishing line that he turned around to the left as the track goes and went from cantering to a trot and the action changed and Paul [Townend] became aware. "He immediately jumped off and was attended by the vets.
I don't believe Paul was able to notice that injury at all. "He would have felt nothing but normal to him and it was only from the action from a canter to a trot he became aware and acted exactly as he should have done. " Two horses, Willy De Houelle and Celebre D'Allen, died at last year's Aintree Festival.
In the feature race of day two, Harry Skelton rode 5-1 shot Grey Dawning to victory in the Melling Chase for his older brother Dan Skelton. After his win in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham Festival, Heart Wood was the 6-5 favourite, but could only manage third place at Aintree. With last year's winner Jonbon not running, the field was open and jockey Skelton said aggressive riding "definitely helped" Grey Dawning hold off second-placed Solness by a neck.
He added: "This win will mean an awful lot to his owner, Robert Kirkland, because his wife very sadly passed away, and I'll dedicate this race to her. "She was a tremendous lady and Robert has been an unreliable supporter of Dan and I since we started out and it's lovely to repay him with a good winner. "Hopefully this will just lift his spirits a little bit and help him through a tough period of his life.
" Trainer Dan Skelton said: "He was really brave today. He needed to be and he was. " Will The Wise claimed victory in the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences.