Cheltenham jockey bust-up sees racial abuse allegation launched | Racing | Sport
Irish jockey Declan Queally has alleged he was subjected to racial abuse from star rider Nico de Boinville. An allegation of that nature has now been lodged with the stewards at the Cheltenham Festival following the altercation between the duo.
Television footage showed De Boinville shouting at Queally ahead of the race start and the veteran appeared agitated as he told his amateur rival to “get back” and turned his mount to claim the spot on the rail that I’ll Sort That was positioned in. In the immediate aftermath of the race, Queally told ITV Racing: “The start was a bit of a mess. Being abused by an English rider Nico de Boinville is not very nice. I’m an amateur. I’ve come over here riding in front of my kids and that. Horrific.” De Boinville replied: “Maybe he should look in the mirror.”
Quelly has since gone into more detail on the abuse he received and alleged some of it was racial in nature. De Boinville provided no comment when approached.
“I was boxing for my position down the inside and there was a lot of general bunching going on,” he told the Racing Post. “It was competitive down there and I got repeated racial abuse from Nico de Boinville when I was coming in around the corner and then he called me a f*****g p***k a couple of times in front of the ITV camera.
“I just didn’t talk back to him, thankfully I didn’t open my mouth. He tried to single me out as if I was the one causing the hassle. When he was shouting, he was picking on me when trying to hold his position.”
He later told Mirror Racing: “It was of a racial nature. I’ve reported it and it is being dealt with by the BHA stewards.” The steward’s notice said: “The stewards, having heard the initial evidence from Queally and Nico de Boinville, have adjourned the matter to obtain further evidence.”
Queally believes he was targeted by De Boinville due to being an Irish amateur. “Everyone was at fault and I was just rooting for myself,” he said.
“There was no need for it. None of the other lads would do it because they know you can’t just single out an Irish amateur rider like that – it’s not fair. It was very unprofessional.
“Jack Kennedy or Paul Townend would know I’m as entitled to be there as much as they are and it’s competitive, so they wouldn’t single out someone because they’re an amateur.”
Queally was later suspended for one day, due to misconduct at the start, alongside Jack Kennedy. A stewards’ inquiry reported that Kennedy, Queally, Danny Gilligan and Darragh O’Keeffe had not approached the tape at a walk or a jig-jog and thereby caused a false start.
