Starter Peter Haynes struggled to get the field under control

Paul Struthers of the Horse racing Regulatory Authority admitted that the long delay was unsatisfactory.

"It didn't look good, did it? Our position is to ensure that all the jockeys get as fair a start as possible," he told BBC Five Live.

"Starter Peter Haynes was trying to ensure each horse got an equal chance."

Interview: Grand National starter Peter Haynes

Interview: Spokesman Paul Struthers

It took four attempts and 10 minutes to get the race started before 33-1 shot Silver Birch emerged as the winner.

Even though it's four and a half miles, a good start is always important Champion jockey Tony McCoy

The debacle of the notorious 1993 void race was avoided, but keeping 40 horses and jockeys under control at the start proved a challenge.

"The problem was that the horses' heads were on the line and when their heads are on the tape you can't let them go," said Struthers.

"The start was reviewed briefly after the race.

"Every year, after the race we review our involvement in every aspect of the meeting, we'll look to see if there's anything more we can do to improve.

"No-one's suggesting we should start from starting stalls, which is the only way we could guarantee a fair and even start.

"For a start, 40 stalls wouldn't fit across the track and the horses wouldn't fit. What we need to consider is what more we can do to ensure this doesn't happen again."

Champion jockey Tony McCoy said the starter would always face a difficult job as no jockey would give an inch on the line.

"It's the start of the most famous race in the world," he said.

"If you get a good position when you're on the tape, you're not willing to give it up easily.

"That was basically what was happening.

"If you give it up, someone else will sneak in there and take the position.