An Irish amateur rider has accused prominent British jockey Nico de Boinville of directing a racially offensive comment towards him during a tumultuous race at Cheltenham on Wednesday. Declan Queally and de Boinville, who rides for trainer Nicky Henderson, engaged in a heated confrontation amidst the chaos at the start of 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, leading to two false starts before the race finally commenced. De Boinville ultimately clinched second place on Act Of Innocence, with Queally finishing fifth aboard I’ll Sort That, trained by his family.
Following the race, Queally expressed his displeasure to ITV Racing, stating, “The start was chaotic. It’s not pleasant to be verbally attacked by English rider Nico de Boinville. I’m an amateur rider, here with my kids. It was horrific.” De Boinville retorted, “Maybe he should reflect on his own actions.”
During a stewards’ inquiry, it was revealed that Queally, along with other riders, had contributed to the false starts by not approaching the starting line correctly. Kennedy and Queally received one-day suspensions for their misconduct at the start, while Gilligan and O’Keefe faced two-day suspensions for repeat offenses.
Queally lodged a complaint regarding the incident at the start, alleging that de Boinville had verbally abused him in front of the ITV camera. He later disclosed to Mirror Racing, “It was racially motivated. I have reported it, and the BHA stewards are handling the matter.” De Boinville declined to provide a comment when contacted for a response.
The stewards announced, “The matter has been adjourned to gather additional evidence following the initial statements from Queally and Nico de Boinville.”
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