Several jockeys expressed their frustration with the start of races at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday. Day Two of the prestigious meeting took centre stage, but there was frustration with the jockeys about the starters’ orders before the races.
King Rasko Grey, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townsend, won the first race of the day in the Novices’ Hurdle.
Harry Cobden then saw Kitzbuhel win the second race of the day in the Novices’ Chase to give Mullins back-to-back wins to start the day.
Jingko Blue then won the Handicap Hurdle before Final Orders won the Cross Country Chase. However, throughout the day, there was clear frustration with the jockeys about the starters’ orders at the beginning of the races.
ITV were broadcasting Day Two of the festival, with presenter Matt Chapman revealing that he spoke to some of the jockeys after the races.
Chapman provided quotes of what four jockeys apparently said about the starts of races at the festival.
« They let him go when we weren’t ready, it’s just a joke, » Chapman claims Mark Walsh said, who finished 14th with Free Spirit in the Novices’ Hurdle.
Chapman then claimed that Jack Kennedy said: « It’s too tight at the start. There are too many runners, it’s too tight and we’re being packed together. »
Brian Hughes then apparently had strong words for the starts of races on Day Two. Chapman claimed Hughes told him: « Horrific, horrendous. The outside horses are cantering in, everyone on the inside are jogging in, the ones on the inside basically have no chance. »
Gavin Sheehan, jockey for Wendigo who fell in the Novices’ Chase, apparently told Chapman: « We are saying no and the starter says go. »
Racing legend Ruby Walsh echoed the views of the jockeys and called on the British Horseracing Authority to step in.
« The BHA [British Horseracing Authority] need to give their starters the right mechanisms to start races, » Walsh told ITV. « A quarter of this field had no chance. »
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