The horse named McKelvey suffered an injury at the 20th fence of this year's "Grand" National and was killed - or in racing ideology, "humanely put to sleep."

Emphasising the appropriateness of the winner's name, Comply Or Die, McKelvey, Time to Sell and In the High Grass died this year. According to animal protectionists, Animal Aid, 174 horses have now died in British horse races since March last year. Of course, in deeply speciesist societies nonhuman slaves will be made to race, and in such circumstances, we should expect casualties.

Perhaps now, however, it is time to think again about those "harmless flutters" on the races?

Roger Yates