Jockey accused of ‘deliberately’ jumping off horse cleared of wrongdoing

A disciplinary panel in Ireland found that neither Philip Byrnes nor his trainer-father Charles Byrnes committed an offence following a race involving Redwood Queen at Wexford last year

A jockey accused of deliberately falling off his horse when appearing to be heading for victory at the final flight of a hurdle race has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Philip Byrnes was aboard Redwood Queen, trained by father Charles Byrnes, in what turned out to be a controversial claiming hurdle at Wexford in May last year.

Redwood Queen had taken a significant drift in the betting market, opening at 7-2 but returned at odds of 13-2. She raced prominently and was going best of the six-runner field with two to jump.

The Racing Post analysis said Redwood Queen “had the race in safe keeping when her rider became unbalanced and came off at the last.

“She did shift around a bit at the previous hurdle but seemed to jump the last in a straightforward manner and her rider will be disappointed to have been unseated.”

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On-course stewards took no action but after a public outcry over the incident the IHRB referred the race to the Referrals Committee.

The IHRB issued three charges against Philip Byrnes alleging that he “deliberately left the saddle immediately after the horse jumped the final hurdle”.

Charles Byrnes was alleged to have sought to undermine the investigation when he was quoted saying the investigation was taking place “to please the faceless people on social media”.

A day-long December hearing heard expert evidence from former jockeys Leighton Aspell, for the IHRB, and Davy Russell, on Byrnes’s behalf, who are both Grand National winners.

IHRB data showed Philip Byrnes’s rate of falls and unseats were “materially higher” than other riders of his experience.

He admitted in evidence “he had the race in the bag” but said he had lost his balance and then his stirrups. He said he had been “deeply embarrassed” by what happened.

Committee chair Mr Justice Peter Kelly accepted his version of events and concluded: “What is clear to us is that as a result of the way the horse jumped the hurdle, she bumped the backside of the jockey, sending him over so slightly to the left which resulted in him losing the right stirrup in the first instance followed by the left and he was duly unseated from the horse.

“We do not believe that this was a deliberate act on his part. He was fortunate in the way in which he landed and that he suffered no injuries.”

The report added: “We are of the opinion that what occurred on this occasion was an example of poor horsemanship on the part of the jockey, consistent with his pre-existing poor falls record.

“In our opinion on the occasion in question the jockey’s position of instability stemmed from an exuberant jump by the horse, resulting in the loss of both irons consecutively. His effort to remain on board by holding onto the reins and neck strap was unsuccessful.”

The committee also said the IHRB was justified in bringing the case and admitted on first viewing “the jockey’s fall was indeed very suspect and appeared deliberate and contrived”.

Yet, having considered all the testimony and examined all angles of video and photographic evidence, it concluded this was not the case, adding that many pundits and commentators had been “quick to rush to judgment adverse to the jockey. Such conclusions were unfair to him.”

Charles Byrnes was also found not guilty of breaching the rules.