Ted Walsh, a former Grand National-winning trainer and the father of leading jockey Ruby, will appear before the Irish Turf Club’s referrals committee – the equivalent of the British Horseracing Authority’s disciplinary panel – to answer questions relating to the running and riding of his chaser Foxrock at Punchestown on 7 December.
Foxrock, in the colours of leading owner Barry Connell, finished third in a handicap chase at the County Kildare track under a hands-and-heels ride by Adrian Heskin, a run which attracted the attention of the local stewards. However, having received a report from a Turf Club veterinary officer that Foxrock had lost both front shoes during the race, the only action taken by the panel was to suspend Heskin for one day for “failing to report in the first instance something that may have affected the running of his mount”.
Video evidence is now believed to have emerged which appears to show that Foxrock was wearing both front shoes after his race at Punchestown.
Foxrock went on to finish second under top weight in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, one of the most valuable and competitive handicaps in the Irish calendar. The seven-year-old then won a Grade A Chase at Leopardstown and finished a close second behind Carlingford Lough in the Grade One Hennessy Gold Cup before running poorly in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham’s Festival meeting last week.
“The Turf Club has announced that it is reopening the inquiry into the running and riding of Foxrock in the Weatherbys Ireland GSB Handicap Chase at Punchestown on 7 December 2014,” a statement from the sport’s regulator in Ireland said on Wednesday.
“The inquiry is being reopened on the basis of new video evidence becoming available that was not available to the stewards at Punchestown. The matter will be dealt with by the referrals committee on 2 April 2015 as will any other rules-related issues which arise. All relevant parties have been informed.”
Walsh, who has held a trainer’s licence for nearly a quarter of a century, took the 2000 Grand National with Papillon, which was also the first victory in the race for his son Ruby. Walsh Sr also saddled Commanche Court to win the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 1997 and took the Grade One Heineken Gold Cup Chase at Punchestown with the same horse three seasons later. He is also familiar to racing fans as a television pundit both in Ireland and Great Britain, where he has worked for Channel 4 Racing at Cheltenham’s Festival meeting.
Quoted in the Irish Times, he confirmed that he was aware of the inquiry. “Obviously they’re not happy with whatever happened on that day and they’re reopening the inquiry,” Walsh said. “I’ll be there at the inquiry to answer any questions that they want.”
