Personally I realy don’t think Nico made a racial slur judged by the incident that was caught on ITV cameras but once a complaint was officially made the BHA have to follow it up and see it through as that is the process in place.
This was always going to be the likely outcome as even if something was said (which I don’t think it was) it was highly unlikely that any jockey were going to corroborate it as we all know how the prefer to keep it private and deal with any issue in house within the weighing room (which is something that needs to stop).
I don’t like Declan blaming what he said on an ITV camera and presenter catching him as he was going into the weighing room – in the heat of the moment????? the incident happened at the start of the race 10-15 minutes earlier and by that time he has ridden in a race, pulled up and then walked all the way back up the walkway and into the dismounting area, spoke to the groom and maybe some others when unsaddling and then had to walk back to the weighing room………plenty of time to gather thoughts and even then he still could have just said no comment when asked.
It was bang out of order and completely entitled of Nico to say what he said regardless of who he said it to and he should be reprimanded more for it but it was equally wrong for Declan to claim a racial slur was made when one wasn’t and he should have just gave it back verbally to Nico at the time – I appreciate he probably felt intimidated (which is what Nico was going for in order to get his way) but he clearly shouldn’t have made the comment he did……and that is on him and him alone.
Unfortunately the one big loser in this was racing itself, especially given the stage it happened on.