Change of jockey for Grand National track specialist after rider taken to hospital

A Grand National course specialist was the subject of a late change of jockey after his regular rider was taken to hospital on Thursday.

Latenightpass won the Aintree Foxhunters, staged over Grand National fences, in 2022 under top amateur Gina Andrews. They also finished second in the race in 2021 and fourth in 2023. Last year the pair tackled the Grand National itself in which Latenightpass ran a storming race, leading at the second last fence before tiring badly, crossing the line in 12th place behind I Am Maximus.

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This week, after finishing a gallant second in the Cross Country Chase at the , Andrews and Latenightpass were due to contest the Randox Supporting Prostate Cancer UK Topham Handicap Chase on Friday.

First she had to get round the Grand National course on Master Templar, a 125-1 chance who she also trains.

However after racing prominently in the early stages of the ‘amateurs’ Grand National, Master Templar was a faller at Becher’s, giving Andrews a nasty fall.

She was taken to hospital in Liverpool and was ruled out of the Topham where her place on Latenightpass, who is trained by her husband Tom Ellis, will be taken by her brother Jack Andrews, who finished second in the Foxhunters on Jet Plane.

A spokesperson for Aintree said that Gina Andrews returned to the weighing room for further assessment and was then taken to hospital.

Jack Andrews told Racing: “Gina is okay. She has gone to hospital for a scan on her head just for precautionary measures. I spoke to her before she went in the ambulance and everything else was fine.

“It’s not a way I would want to pick up a spare but all the same I will look forward to it. I had a brilliant ride round in the Foxhunters but was absolutely gutted to finish second.”

David Maxwell was unscathed after briefly getting caught in the irons after his mount fell at the Chair in the Foxhunters.