11 December 2023 , 14:22
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The Jockey Club has condemned the behaviour of a group of racegoers involved in a punch-up at the home of the Grand National.
Fists flew when a group of men started throwing punches in a video shared on the social media platform X.
The 42-second clip of the violence which was eventually broken up by security has already been viewed two million times
The incident occurred in one of the indoor enclosures at Aintree racecourse on Saturday.
Two men are seen fighting at first but others become involved as they move out towards a stairwell, at which point there are other skirmishes in which punches and kicks are exchanged.
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The behaviour angered race fans on X with one comment saying: “And this is why a lot of "proper" racing fans refuse to go to the big meetings on a weekend. Getting rid of scenes like this is what the BHA needs to fix racing, not make it worse with premierisation.”
The subject was also discussed on the Betfair forum. One said: “Their security officers in the video looked rather unengaging and reticent.”
Another commented: “Every racegoer who takes part in a mass brawl must be banned for life or a very long period, if found guilty internally (racecourse authority) or by the police. These people do not have any place in horseracing.”
A statement from the Jockey Club said: "We're passionate about providing safe and enjoyable experiences for all on our racecourses and operate a strict zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of anti-social behaviour.
"There was an isolated instance of such behaviour yesterday which was dealt with by our security teams. This kind of behaviour will never be tolerated and those involved were immediately ejected from the site."