The John Smith’s Grand National meeting opens on Thursday afternoon with the man who has steered it through one of the toughest periods in its history insisting the mood is upbeat thanks to continued support from the public.

Managing director Julian Thick, who revealed that almost £250,000 has been spent on welfare measures since two horses died in the 2011 National, said the prospect of over 150,000 spectators, 70,000 of them on Saturday, underlined the enduring appeal of the one horse race  in Britain that truly extends beyond the sport’s natural borders.

Only a few days after a protester caused chaos at the Boat Race, unprecedented security will accompany a first-day cast including six Cheltenham Festival winners, among them Big Buck’s and Riverside Theatre. The calm before the storm: The main stand at Aintree will be packed tot he rafter on Saturday

But, 12 months on from the storm that followed the fatal Grand National accidents of Dooney’s Gate and Ornais, it will be tough for any performance, equine or human, to knock the topic of welfare from the top of the agenda.

To its credit, the sport has recognised that as it seeks to balance safety with accusations of meddling by traditionalists.

There has been no retreat into a siege mentality but an engagement with the mainstream animal welfare organisations and implementation of 18 of the 20 recommendations of a safety review.

They include changes to the three fences which have claimed 50 per cent  of fallers between them since 1990 — most notably the iconic Becher’s Brook — plus a raft of measures including improved pre-race screening of participants.

Rules on whip use, not prompted but influenced by winning jockey Jason Maguire’s excessive use on Ballabriggs last year, has resulted in a stiffer regime with a potential £10,000 fine for a rider ignoring rules. Hot streak: Ballabriggs gets a hug from stable lad Ed Bourne and a cooling down after winning the 2011 Grand National

Most of the changes were first tested at Aintree’s December meeting but it is what happens over the next few days that really counts, starting with the Fox Hunters’ Chase, the first race over the famous fences.

Thick said: ‘The safety review was extensive and consulted with many parties and was not knee-jerk. Horse racing is not without risk but we believe these are a package of changes good for the long-term future of the race. Safety is our No 1 priority.’

The radical animal rights organisations like Animal Aid, who have called for a Grand National betting boycott, do not agree but crucially Aintree and the BHA have worked closely with both the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare.

WHW chief executive Roly Owers said: ‘Overall we think the changes are a good step forward. We appreciate that there is a balance to be struck between the accompanying risks of such a race and maintaining it as a unique and challenging event.'

Risk management can only go so far. Officials know there are no guarantees and selling that to an increasingly sentimental public is tough. The simple fact is eight horses have died in the Grand National since 2000. That would be unacceptable if the numbers were greeted with disdain. They are not.

Even before this year’s changes, previous safety moves had seen the fatality rate almost halve in the last decade compared to the period around the early 1980s.

Jamie Stier, BHA director for raceday regulation, said: ‘The message we will give to the jockeys before the National is one of respect — for the horse, the course, the jumps and the race, to ensure it is there for future generations to enjoy.’
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