An Irish non-professional rider accused top British jockey Nico de Boinvile of directing a racially offensive comment towards him at Cheltenham on Wednesday. Declan Queally and de Boinville, the primary jockey for Nicky Henderson, engaged in a heated confrontation during a tumultuous start to the Turners Novices’ Hurdle, the first race on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival.
Tensions escalated as the riders vied for position among the 21-horse field, resulting in the starter declaring two false starts before the race officially commenced. De Boinville ultimately secured second place on Act Of Innocence, trailing the Willie Mullins-trained victor King Rasko Grey, while Queally finished fifth on the family-trained I’ll Sort That.
Following the race, the verbal altercation persisted as Queally expressed to ITV Racing: “The start was chaotic. Facing abuse from English rider Nico de Boinville is unacceptable. I’m an amateur. I came here to ride in front of my family, and that behavior was appalling.” De Boinville retorted, “Perhaps he should reflect on his own actions.”
During a subsequent stewards’ inquiry, the starter reported that Jack Kennedy, Queally, Danny Gilligan, and Darragh O’Keeffe did not approach the starting line at a suitable pace, leading to a false start. Kennedy and Queally received one-day suspensions for misconduct at the start, while Gilligan and O’Keefe faced two-day suspensions due to it being their second offense within a year.
The stewards’ report also mentioned that Queally lodged a complaint “regarding an incident at the start.” Queally informed the Racing Post that de Boinville “verbally attacked me in front of the ITV camera.” Subsequently, Queally told Mirror Racing: “The comment was racially motivated. I have reported it, and the BHA stewards are addressing the matter.” De Boinville declined to provide a response when contacted.
A statement from the stewards indicated, “Following the initial testimonies from Queally and Nico de Boinville, the stewards have postponed the proceedings to gather further evidence.”
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