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Ha ha – I hope Kevin watched RTE news before he went to bed. Ballydoyle’s legal team are defending them over the working hours of staff – horses ‘take on the personality of those caring for them’ (O’Brien), and to interfere with such a bond by employing extra staff to care for them would have a negative effect on performance. Brilliant. Couldn’t ask for better timing
I know how annoying it is to be on some scatterbrained horse gawking at imaginary monsters 3 fields away and then dicking about, and I suppose a thump in the neck is (very marginally) better than a chuck in the mouth (can’t believe he considered that and admitted considering it). But it was hard, and quite far forward (looked pretty near the wing of the atlas- not great). No call for it. A light slap down the shoulder would have done, or better still kick feet out of the irons and a tight figure of eight or something.
I’m about the same age as Russell. The stuff our age group learned from the Jeyes Fluid and Stockholm tar generation was mixed. There was the good (the very civil elderly chap who mum sent youngsters to be mouthed and backed; he had crappy tack held together with baler twine and the most patient kind manner with animals and people- including the seven year old me- you’ve ever seen). But we also saw, or heard about, other stuff. If you saw a horse rearing in public there’d often be someone muttering about how it should have a bottle broken over its head. At least two people I knew of got done for rapping showjumpers (probably still happens, I dunno). I’ve seen some ugly sights in practice arenas and behind trailers nearly 30 years ago; things were better at least in public by the time I grew out of ponies- but who knows what still happens at home.
I hope the attitude we used to sometimes see of wanting to hammer manners into horses dies out and only the good (that nice quiet riding style that a lot of old fashioned horsemen had and that Russell has himself) remains.
Speculation, I don’t know the man though was put off him three or four years back when he publicly p1ssed himself laughing at the poor Cheltenham preview audiences that he’d put away (can’t recall the name of the horse he won on: someone here will remember it. It had been lined up as a proper job).
Anyway, I suspect that had he been alone at that training hurdle with no one in sight, ironically, he would not have touched the horse for pulling up so sharply. The horse got a punch for potentially embarrassing Russell in front of his mates by almost unseating him. You could argue that the whole incident was his own fault, bringing the horse in at an obstacle it could not see until very late. Again, I stress that I’m speculating.
The whole carry on was unnecessary and pointless and the Turf Club have managed to achieve a rare feat by coming out of it in as bad a light as the offender.
Another day and once more a story appears in the news cycle (quite rightly) as the ISPCA joins its British twin by condemning Russell and the Turf Club.
Like i said previously in the thread, how its perceived by non race-goers is much more important than the incident, it was always going to be damaging and they shohkd have banned him from that point of view, was the horse hurt – no
Is racing being painted terribly because of this -yesThats reason enough to be banned forgetting the incident, if your openly bringing negativity to the sport and causing outrage you should be punished accordingly, the incident in my opinion was shocking he should have been banned for it, but his attitude afterwards was worthy of a ban, playing down what he did….. again the punch wouldnt have caused damage, but the fact he knew it was being televised and he did it anyway and has shown 0 remorse afterwards is reason enough
To much neglegance from everyone directly responsible for racings welfare.
Racegoer:Flashing your ti*s gets you a liftime ban from attending all racing events…
Experienced jockey:Punching a horse gets you the backing from the organisation that it wasnt a big deal….
Can i ask what would have happened if someone in attendance punched a horse in the parade ring? Would they be let off to attend the next race day???
I haven’t been reading everything on the subject, so apologies if it’s already been brought up but has anything been said from the owner of Kings Dolly on the matter….?
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
The Turf club to review the case apparently as sentence seen as too lenient.
Pathetic organisation, presumably only doing that because they are crumbling under public pressure.
Sack the lot of them.
I’m not aware of any comment from Anna Brislane who also bred Kings Dolly, Nathan. However, Dai Walters, whom Russell rides for, has defended him. The poor horse’s trainer Roger McGrath said there were no apparent physical ill effects (perhaps mental ones will appear the next time the mare is at the races) but that is not the issue.
It is becoming too hot in the kitchen for the Turf Club because it has just issued this statement (the Turf Club incorporates the INHSC):
In a statement released late on Wednesday, the Turf Club said: “Following an internal review of the penalty imposed by the Referrals Committee on Davy Russell for a breach of Rule 272(i) as a result of an incident prior to the start of the Flynn Hotel Group Mares Handicap Hurdle at Tramore on 18 August 2017, the Registrar of the INHS [Irish National Hunt Steeplechase] Committee, using his powers under Rule 27(i), has asked the Appeals Body to review the sanction imposed on Davy Russell on the grounds that it was unduly lenient.”
Digging themselves deeper now. It will be hard for the reviewers to impose anything like a tough sentence without bringing calls for the resignation of those on the original panel. And they cannot impose another lenient one.
Takes me back to my original comment on this thread: it wasn’t so much about what was done as how the authorities would react. BHA would have got it bang on first time.
Agreed, Joe, the Turf Club has gotten itself into a fine mess! Whilst I’m among those who would like to have seen Russell get much longer, the original panel (citing his previous 5 and 14 day bans, and with a tip of the hat towards the BHA’s 3 month maximum for disrepute) could have imposed a 1 month suspension which surely would have assuaged public opinion yet not brought forth litigation from the jockey. The TC may have got away with slightly reducing it if Russell appealed.
I’m not convinced a 5 or 7 day penalty would necessarily have satisfied the outraged and it is less likely to now the level of indignation has risen by virtue of the TC’s mishandling, it would indeed be seen as too lenient. However, I’ve no confidence the Appeals Body will perceive 7 days that way especially, as you say, a tough (say 1 month) sentence will render the positions of their colleagues on the Referrals Committee somewhat untenable. So whatever it does it will be hard to put this matter to bed.
Another day and once more a story appears in the news cycle (quite rightly) as the ISPCA joins its British twin by condemning Russell and the Turf Club.
That must be shocking news for Kevin Blake. No doubt he will say that they have been swayed by their “soft” British twin. Only Irish “Racing People” really understand this matter surely?
An article I read stated that Russell was banned for 14 days last year, because he was rude to a Steward. This time he punches a horse and gets zero.
It must be that the horse never felt the punch, but the Stewards feeling were “well hurted” and they are still suffering flashbacks.
Clueless inconsistency from people with no concept of the bigger picture. There should be a catch-all term in the rule book, along the lines of being guilty of “General Dickeration”
I reckon that sums up Russell’s offence.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
This further article from racingpost.com sums it up well:
“Just when you thought the heat might be going out of the situation, the Turf Club has conjured up another dramatic twist.
The regulator’s chief executive Denis Egan spent a lot of time defending the referrals committee’s decision to merely caution Davy Russell for striking Kings Dolly at Tramore.
Nonetheless, consensus was that the referrals committee in effect reneged on its responsibility in not issuing a sanction.
It seems now that someone or some faction within the Turf Club has made a conscientious decision to recognise that Irish racing cannot exist in its own little vacuum.
Earlier in the day, the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals issued a statement condemning the committee’s finding, arguably getting to the nub of the matter as perceived by those looking in on the sport.
“We are disappointed that the jockey was [charged] not for hitting the horse but for damaging the reputation of horseracing,” the statement read.
It is unclear whether the ISPCA statement is what finally prompted the regulator to cave in to public opinion and review the finding.
The all-encompassing rule that has been invoked to review the decision states that it is within the powers of the Keeper of the Match Book or the Registrar of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee – the arm that officiates over jump racing – to do so if it deems any sanction or lack thereof unduly lenient.
Denis Egan is the Keeper of the Match Book. Maybe he had a change of heart, but, in view of his backing the initial outcome so strongly, it seems more likely that the impetus has come from elsewhere.
The current Registrar of the INHS is Josh Byrne, another long-standing member of the Turf Club who is well respected, so it seems reasonable to assume he was the one who identified the loophole or at least pressed the button for the about-turn.
At this stage, it’s hard to say whether such a manoeuvre is a mature if rare concession from an officiating body that it has got a verdict wrong, or if it should be perceived as weakness on behalf of the authority and an undermining of Egan’s credibility.
Either way, this sorry episode is set to run some more, and for that the Turf Club has only itself to blame.”
Today’s main development is Denis Egan’s attempt to distance himself from having defended and applauded the leniency of the Referrals Committee he himself put into (in)action. He is trying to save face by saying he was commenting in general terms on Saturday when he felt a caution was a sufficient punishment/deterrent. Actually what he said was Davy this and Davy that and Davy’s a nice fellow really. Egan and those who sat on the committee should resign.
Matt Chapman although not agreeing with Davy Russell’s actions in punching poor Kings Dolly, has come out against the Irish Turf Club calling the whole thing totally and utterly embarrassing but he posts gushing references for Davy Russell’s character, amongst other things he says:-
What a shambles.
Firstly, the Irish Turf Club took far too long to look at the incident, allowing social media to go crazy. Secondly, any sane person knew Russell deserved a ban or fine of some sort from the start.
And thirdly, looking at the case again merely shows just how incompetent the Irish Turf Club has been. It really is a mess and one the Irish Turf Club should be totally ashamed of.
I remain a Davy Russell fan. If I was on a Cheltenham preview panel Russell is the one I’d want sat next to me. He’s a world-class rider and a fabulous entertainer.
He also loves horses.
So Davy Russell love horses….so please explain Mr. Chapman in your best Heavyweight Champion Of The World voice…
Why he thinks it’s OK to punch them, because he certainly made scant effort to show any signs of remorse.
Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...Mick Fitzgerald – I can’t believe they are revisiting it………
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Which essentially goes to show how far removed Fitzgerald is from the average person.
When will racing realise that using him and his ilk will only reinforce the impression that the sport is essentially a different world to the man in the street, and does nothing to encourage their interest or participation.
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