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I was aware he had been banned for three days for "improper riding", but hadn't realised, until seeing the incident for the first time on the Sunday Forum, what this had involved.
From the head-on angle of the closing stages, it appeared he was deliberately striking a horse over the head in order to prevent it from getting past him.
I'm astonished he was only given three days for this, and in my view, Russell should consider himself fortunate that someone has reported him to the Irish SPCA!
From the head-on angle of the closing stages, it appeared he was deliberately striking a horse over the head in order to prevent it from getting past him.
I'm astonished he was only given three days for this, and in my view, Russell should consider himself fortunate that someone has reported him to the Irish SPCA!
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*hasn't reported him...
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I was wondering!
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Well done to the stewards for picking up on it and DQing him from first place, but three days seems lenient for such an offence imo (albeit he ended up getting another 14). So 3 days for appearing to deliberately strike an opponent's horse over the face, but 14 for being rude to the stewards. Go figure...
The Stewards enquired into possible interference after the last hurdle involving Solar Heat, ridden by Rachael Blackmore, placed second and Little Folke (GB), ridden by D.N. Russell, placed first, where it appeared Solar Heat received a number of strikes from the whip of D.N. Russell. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards reversed the placings of the first two home. The Stewards further found D.N. Russell to be in breach of Rule 214 by riding improperly and suspended the rider for three racedays. The Stewards enquired into the conduct of D.N. Russell in the Stewards' Room at the Enquiry which followed the running of the second race. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned. Having considered the evidence the Stewards found D.N. Russell in breach of Rule 272 by verbally acting in a manner prejudicial to the proper conduct of horseracing and suspended him for 14 racedays. |
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Must have put young Rachael in an awkward position in the stewards room speaking against an experienced top jockey in a situation like that.
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it's a tactic regularly used here too imo
 The Horses Come First |
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Indeed, stewarts, which is why riders should be questioned separately (imo)
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Perhaps, ocean', but I've not seen an incident as blatant as that appeared to be
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luke morris cough cough
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His whip action may not be pretty but I've not seen him appear to deliberately strike another horse over the face, but if you can give me example, I'll take a look.
I appreciate there can be 'gamesmanship' involved in these situations, but that was something else imo |
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I am his biggest fan but if he did that deliberately he should be banned for months.
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You can judge for yourself, acey, the head-on is shown right at the end of this replay, just after 5:40
http://www.attheraces.com/atrplayer-replay-popup/VOD/960260 |
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Your right George that was deliberate.
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Hve just watched it a couple of times, and I don't agree. I'd say there was perhaps just a touch of him swinging his whip a bit wider to intimidate the horse on his right, but hardly anything, and less than I've seen on many other occasions. And crucially (imo) there was absolutely nothing in Rachael Blackmore's demeanour as Davy Russell trotted back past her on their way to the unsaddling area that suggested he'd done anything dirty. She didn't give him any kind of look. I'd say he was unlucky to lose it, and did nothing dirty.
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unlucky to lose it .......absolute nonsense.
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That did look pretty blatant from Russell tbf when viewing the head on.
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...where it appeared Solar Heat received a number of strikes from the whip of D.N. Russell. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned
Presumably they asked Blackmore if contact was made, and presumably they had more angles and better quality pictures to view the incident? It certainly didn't look good when I was saw it this morning on the telly. Even if he hasn't made contact (though the runner-up does seem to jink a tad right in response to the first swipe), I would describe bringing the whip down in front of the horse's head with force as intimidation and therefore improper riding. |
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Still don't agree. I've only watched it on my PC, and obviously different angles could show more, and a good TV, with slowmo, would show it better, but watching it side-on, and head-on, twice, it looked to me, for all the world, like a jockey who felt his horse had the race won but was looking to throw it away by running around when he hit the front and was getting some tears into him, as Ted Walsh would say, to put it all in and stop messing around. He would have been as concerned with the horse finishing on his left as the horse rallying on his right, imo, and was concentrating on getting his own mount to put it all in. Maybe my eyes are going, but I'm surprised you see so much in this. I've seen far worse incidents of jockeys changing their whip actions to intimidate a horse challenging on one side - and have nothing said about it.
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get to specsavers Ged
 JR spot on with this |
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Watching it this morning when they showed the side-on first, I was wondering what's he supposed to have done, but my first reaction to seeing the head-on and the three whip actions close to the line was that it looked awful, and that was McCririck's reaction too.
Watching it again on lesser quality internet pictures, I think you're right to query if contact was made (though the horse appears to react to the first of the three whip actions), but I still feel the stewards were right to ban him because I don't think how he used his whip (whether contact was made or not) in the forearm position, in ?front of the horse's face, should be tolerated nor permitted. It would be helpful to have a transcript of what was said by Blackmore, and the fact that the stewards banned him, presumably would indicate that having viewed the angles, they were fairly sure that he had made contact. |
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* should not
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* should
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Playing Devil's Advocate I would say that it's all happening a lot quicker in real life than it appears on that recording. I would like to see the authorities on both sides of the Irish sea state that this won't be tolerated and the onus is on the jockey not to hit anyone else's horse. ie they can't say it was a close up accident,,,
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I watched it on The Sunday Forum and it was as clear as Daylight he meant to beat the horse over the head...I must say i have lost a lot of respect for Russell after seeing that.
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It a disgrace that davy took the rap for this he knows more about race riding than any of those dix in the stewards room and he has been stitched up. Rachel should have took the hint and moved off.ruby or any others would never have done that to davy, the gal should have known bdtter.y shes young and inexperienced and got favour from the stewards.
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Looks 100% deliberate. Russell is a vile individual.
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From irishracing.com...
Jockey Davy Russell has issued an apology following the incidents surrounding the disqualification of his mount Little Folke at Clonmel on Thursday and subsequent brush with Turf Club stewards. The statement reads: “I would like to apologise unreservedly for my conduct at Clonmel on Thursday which fell far below the standards expected of any sportsman. “Both during and after the race my conduct was quite simply unacceptable and I fully appreciate that I have let both myself and others down. “As is the case with any profession one endures peaks and troughs and, at times, no small amount of frustration. However this in no way excuses what transpired after Thursday’s race. “My conduct in the stewards room was entirely unacceptable and unwarranted and all I can do is to offer my deepest apologies to all who were affected by my behaviour, from the officials at the track, to the punters, the connections of both Little Folke and Solar Heat and the owners and trainers of the two horses that I was due to ride later on the card. “As a professional rider one is expected to perform and behave to certain standards and what happened on Thursday fell way below that.” |
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Just watched this, how can these people ^^^^^^^^^ defend Russell.
Clearly does it on purpose, blatant cruelty to the horse and bullying of a young girl, I doubt that he would have done it to a horse ridden by one of the big boys. 3 days is very lenient, as noted above I'm suprised it hasn't been reported to a higher authority |
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I thought the apology was for what had gone on in the stewards room, but reading that, he mentions during the race as well.
Until the day they inevitably ban the whip it's always going to cause controversy, and although I'm in favour of the whip so long as it's used correctly, seeing that incident for the first time this morning, got my goat! Fair play to Russell, he's apologised and we all move on, but imo stewards are right to act in situations like that. |
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That looked deliberate without question. Shocking stuff
3 days for smashing a horse over the head/face with a whip. 14 days for a few comments to stewards The worlds gone mad |
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The world has gone mad but fair play to Davy Russell for the apology to all concerned.
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The apology is just damage limitation tho,,,
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Apology would be acceptable enough but for one very notable omission.
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the last two strikes are 100% aimed at the other horse's head....can't understand how anyone could see that differently...:(
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The apology would have been scripted and demanded by his agent/advisor and like a previous poster mentioned damage limitation
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arm to wide to be unintentional..guilty 110%
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Agree Deffo Guilty
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he was bullying the young lady ,should have been 3 months imo !
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MART FRO.
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Just read Richard Forristal's piece on the latest incident on the RP site, he mentions the 14 day ban Russell got last year for verbally abusing the Clonmel stewards, but surprisingly fails to mention why Russell was in the stewards room in the first place that day, I wonder why...
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