The two deaths are anything but isolated incidents: Gottany O’s had to be put down after stumbling and breaking a leg while leading a race, earlier in the week at Aintree.

The Dubai World Cup was also marred by three deaths in a supporting race at Meydan racecourse in the United Arab Emirates, while in March five horses were killed during the four-day Cheltenham Festival meeting.

At the Grand National track, racing regulators are again investigating the tough jumps and in particular the notorious Becher’s Brook, with its 6’9″ drop on the landing side. Jockeys described the jump as “like jumping off the edge of the world”. Champion jockey Tony McCoy was unseated by Synchronised and the horse continued to run without its rider and sustained its fatal injury at a later fence.

The animal aid organization, the RSPCA, wants organizers of the Grand National to make the competition safer for horses.

After 28-1 outsider According To Pete and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised (10-1) had to be put down after meeting grief at the famed Becher’s Brook obstacle, media commentators agreed it had been a black day for the sport. Their deaths have angered Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler. Since 1996, the deaths brought the number of fatalities to 18.

For trainer Jonjo O’Neill and owner JP McManus, the result was extra heartache as they had sent out both Sunnyhillboy and the ill-fated Synchronised, a Gold Cup hero 29 days previously. For champion trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Daryl Jacob, the outcome was a first National success. Neptune Collonges, a seasoned campaigner, has now been retired from the game at the request of owner John Hales who lost his well-known chaser One Man in a fall at Aintree in 1998.

Gio Ponti, who was trained by Christophe Clement, was the winner of two Eclipse Awards in 2009, winning for male turf horse and older male turf horse.

He has come in second in the Breeders’ Cup two years in a row, and with 2 Grade 1 wins this year in the Man o’ War at Belmont and Shadwell Turf mile at Keeneland as well as two runner-up finishes at the Arlington Million and Manhattan, he may be in the running for the 2010 Eclipse Award as well.

Gio Ponti was sired by Tale of the Cat. He has won earned more than 4.5 million in his career.

Ryan stated that the “2011 Dubai World Cup” is the next major objective for Gio Ponti. In this year’s Dubai World Cup, a 1 1/4-mile race, Gio Ponti finished fourth.

Gio Ponti, who will be 6 years old by the 2011 Dubai World Cup, may prep in either the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on Feb. 5 or the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes on Feb. 27.

According to trainer Christophe Clement, Gio Ponti might follow 2008 World Cup winner Curlin’s example and have a prep race in Dubai itself.

The massive complex seats around 60,000 spectators thought he complex itself can hold up to 80,000 people total. In total the new Meydan Horse Racing Complex cost around $1.25 billion to build and holding true to Dubai standards is breathtakingly beautiful. The tracks are synthetic surfaces.

The new complex will become the host of the Dubai World cup where both thoroughbreds and pure Arabian horses race. The complex not only houses the racetracks and grandstands but also a 5 star hotel and IMAX cinema, a marina and a racing museum. Racing enthusiasts will not be disappointed with this complex whether you are viewing an event on television or you have the honor of attending one of its amazing events it is bound to awe you.