{"id":341223,"date":"2026-03-11T21:26:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/341223\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T21:26:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:26:10","slug":"four-irish-jockeys-suspended-as-tempers-fray-around-controversial-starting-process-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/341223\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Irish jockeys suspended as tempers fray around controversial starting process \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

The finish line is usually the focus of festival attention at Cheltenham<\/a> but controversial scenes at the start of Wednesday\u2019s opening race attracted the spotlight with a vengeance.<\/p>\n

Four Irish-based jockeys were ultimately suspended after a bumper 21-runner field for the Grade One Turners Novices\u2019 Hurdle, won by King Rasko Grey, left space at a premium at the start.<\/p>\n

Two false starts were called before the field was finally let go and they went with a trail of dissatisfaction in their wake.<\/p>\n

The most high-profile incident caught on ITV cameras was the colourful spat between Irish amateur jockey Declan Queally and top English professional Nico de Boinville as they competed for a position at the tape.<\/p>\n

“Being abused by an English rider, Nico de Boinville is not very nice” \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

“I’m an amateur, I’m coming over riding in front of my kids. HORRIFIC” \ud83d\ude2f<\/p>\n

Declan Queally is NOT HAPPY with Nico de Boinville \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/ZooWaL1PDI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

[\u00a0Declan Queally: \u2018Irish racing likes when smaller stables are able to compete against bigger ones\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cI was being abused by an English rider, Nico de Boinville, and it\u2019s not very nice. I\u2019m an amateur coming here riding in front of my kids and that, it\u2019s horrific,\u201d said Queally who finished fifth on I\u2019ll Sort That. De Boinville, runner-up on Act Of Innocence, suggested Queally needed to look in the mirror.<\/p>\n

Queally complained to the stewards who heard evidence from both men and adjourned the matter to obtain further evidence. <\/p>\n

All of it was grist to the mill in terms of stereotypical Anglo-Irish rivalry, although more measured contributions underlined how shambolic a scenario the start all seemed. <\/p>\n

Mark Walsh reportedly called the procedures a \u201cjoke\u201d, while Jack Kennedy suggested the 21-runner field was simply too big for the space involved. Brian Hughes pointed to the incongruous need for horses on the outside to approach the tape at a different tempo than those on the inner as the field wheeled in on a turn to face the starter. <\/p>\n

An inquiry eventually blamed four Irish riders \u2013 Queally, Kennedy, Danny Gilligan and Darragh O\u2019Keeffe. It concluded they hadn\u2019t approached the tape at a walk or a jig-jog as required. Kennedy and Queally each got a day, while Gilligan and O\u2019Keeffe got two days each as it was their second such offence in 12 months. <\/p>\n

The owner of the 5-2 English favourite No Drama This End likened the start to a \u201clottery\u201d. Max McNeill added: \u201cI think they should have given them another chance to walk in again at the start. If they don\u2019t do it first time, they should tell them off and do it again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Irish jockeys know what they are doing and they are going to make it as difficult for the class horse in the races as possible. I\u2019m not blaming anyone. The horse wasn\u2019t good enough on the day, but we live to fight another day.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was notable though how false starts remained a feature of the rest of the day\u2019s racing.<\/p>\n

\"ConorConor Stone-Walsh on Final Orders on his way to winning the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase. Photograph: Morgan Treacy\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Separately, Gavin Cromwell got off the mark for the week in some style as Final Orders landed the Cross-Country Chase from Favori De Champdou, with two other Cromwell runners, Vanillier and last year\u2019s winner Stumptown, filling the frame. <\/p>\n

It was a first festival success for 19-year-old rider Conor Stone-Walsh who made most of the running in the marathon contest. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe ran really well on Trials Day but his wind isn\u2019t so good on soft ground and we actually gave him a little wind surgery after that and it really worked for him. I was confident he was in great form and Conor gave him a brilliant ride,\u201d Cromwell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more the ground dried I thought it would play to Final Orders\u2019 strengths, but at the same time Stumptown is so good around here, although the ground drying up was a negative for him. <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought at the last, though, that Favori du Champdou was cantering upsides us. I\u2019m not sure he\u2019ll get in the National, but I don\u2019t see why he wouldn\u2019t run there,\u201d said the Co Meath trainer who will saddle the Gold Cup winner Inothewaurthinkin in Friday\u2019s \u2018Blue Riband\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Cheltenham festival\u2019s Day Two official attendance was 46,317, significantly down on Tuesday\u2019s 57,242, but well up on last year\u2019s corresponding figure of 41,949.<\/p>\n

Wednesday\u2019s card was rebranded as \u2018Ladies Day\u2019 by the Jockey Club. Last year\u2019s Wednesday crowd was the lowest at the festival this century and the lowest second-day attendance since 1993. The Cheltenham festival capacity is 66,000.<\/p>\n

Sadly, a second fatality of the week occurred in Wednesday\u2019s BetMGM Cup when the Irish horse HMS Seahorse had to be put down. Trained by Paul Nolan in Wexford, the mount of jockey Eoin Staples fell at the last hurdle.<\/p>\n

A Cheltenham spokesman said: \u201cHMS Seahorse was immediately attended to by a team of expert vets during our third race of the day but sadly sustained an injury when falling at the final hurdle and could not be saved. Our heartfelt condolences are with connections.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gary Moore-trained Hansard sustained fatal injuries in Tuesday\u2019s Arkle Trophy.<\/p>\n

Racing switches to the New Course for the last two days of the Cheltenham festival with some selective watering taking place. The going on the track on Wednesday was good and good to soft in places.<\/p>\n

Cheltenham\u2019s clerk of the course Jon Pullin said on Wednesday evening: \u201cI updated the going description on the New Course this afternoon to good, good to soft in places because it\u2019s obviously been a drying day, and we are going to do some selective watering this evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got rain coming tomorrow but it\u2019s only drizzle during the morning and early afternoon potentially. The more significant rain comes later in the afternoon and through the evening, and we just want to make sure we are in a good place to start the afternoon having dried out a bit today.\u201d<\/p>\n