Glin Road Boy 700 Sligo

looks like stewards spotted it too

A conditional jockey has been banned for 14 days for failing to make a real and substantial effort to achieve the best possible placing on a Charles Byrnes-trained runner at Sligo on Tuesday evening.

Tom Kelly partnered Glin Road Boy on his handicap and stable debut in the 2m1½f handicap hurdle for Byrnes. Having opened up at 12-1, he drifted to a starting price of 22-1, but ran an eye-catching race when getting up for second, beaten four lengths by the 11-4 favourite Timurshah.

Watch the race replay here
However, it also caught the eye of the stewards, who subsequently held a running and riding inquiry into Glin Road Boy's effort.

Kelly said his mount had made a gurgling noise throughout the race, but he felt he had done all he could to ride it to the line. However, the stewards disagreed.

As well as his 14-day suspension, the 7lb claimer was ordered to forfeit his riding fee, while Glin Road Boy was banned from running for 60 days.

Sligo: stages decent Flat racing on Friday
Sligo: hosted a jumps card on Tuesday evening
Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
The stewards' report said: "Tom Kelly stated that his instructions were to get his mount to finish out his race in the best possible position. He further stated that his mount jumped off a bit keen, took a while to settle, was gurgling and making a noise throughout the race.

"He felt that at the back of the third last he put his mount into the race to finish in the best possible position, and was satisfied he did all he could to ride his mount out to the line. When questioned as to why he did not pull up his mount in the circumstances given his report, Kelly stated that the horse was okay to continue.

"Mr Cathal Byrnes, authorised representative of Charles Byrnes, confirmed the instructions given, said that the horse was fit, healthy and that he was perfectly happy with the ride up until the last hurdle, where he would have liked to have seen Kelly be a bit more forceful up to the line.

"He further stated that in his previous runs with a different trainer his charge had struggled to finish out his races and added that the horse does wear a cross noseband and makes a noise at home and would explore wearing one in future races."

The report added: "Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the stewards noted the explanation given by the trainer's authorised representative. They were, however, satisfied that Kelly was in breach of Rule 212.A.(ii) [been the subject of a genuine attempt to obtain from the horse timely, real and substantial efforts to achieve the best possible place]."

Kelly is the second jockey to have picked up a hefty ban for his action on a Byrnes-trained runner recently. His son, Philip, was handed a 21-day suspension for dangerous riding and had his winner thrown out after his actions forced a rival to run out at Limerick last month.

Tom Kelly 2 wins out of 163 rides. The only wonder is how he had been given so many rides

The creature is incessant. He just won't obey racings rules. Decades getting away with all sorts. Clearly should not have a licence.

The rodent will continue in the same manner as long as he holds a Licence to Train

The IHRB is really impotent and non-punter friendly. This outfit recently caused controversy when his son was adjudged to have "jumped off" just before the finishing line at Wexford in 2025; 2026 at Limerick his son Phillip was adjudged to have severely interfered with another runner, and was demoted from 1st place and disqulified. Yesterday the same outfit had their conditional jockey banned for 14 days for a "non-trier incident at Sligo; the horse made late effort to finish 2nd, and was banned for 60 days.

This outfit has on many previous occasions infringed on the integrity and the rules of horseracing in Ireland. Why oh why the IHRB does not throw the book at this outfit and ban them for a few years? The regular repeated infringements over a short period is a clear sign this outfit is dodgy, and has no place in horseracing per say.

This outfit has brought horseracing Ireland into disrepute, and not fit for the sport.

repeated infringements over a short period ??

In April 2005, the horse Laetitia, trained by Charles Byrnes, was given a 60-day ban at Cork Racecourse after finishing a controversial runner-up to her stablemate in a bumper. Jockey Michael Purcell was suspended for 50 days and fined €2,000 for failing to obtain the best possible placing.

this has been going on for at least 21 years and will continue to go on until someone at the IHRB grows a pair and tells this joker enough is enough.

woman in the chronicle arrested for shoplifting..164 previous offences...impossible to stop innit.

he even made Purcell go into the stewards room and tell them the reason he didn't make any effort to pass the other one was that he was dehydrated.

the mans a farce.

just avoiding the constant headlines of scandal.

Mr Charles Byrnes, as a horse trainer, is surplus to requirement - maybe not in Ireland. He's definitely a blotch on Irish Horseracing.