Raul da Silva, who was banned for 21 days on Sunday after a weighing‑room fight at Goodwood which left the former champion jockey Jim Crowley needing stitches in a cut lip, said on Tuesday that he would “swear on my son’s life that Jim started the fight” and vehemently denied using lead or a weapon of any kind.
Da Silva’s comments will increase the pressure on the British Horseracing Authority to hold its own investigation. The stewards at Goodwood heard evidence from both Crowley and Da Silva as well as four of their fellow jockeys and several weighing-room officials but left open the possibility that the case could be “revisited” if further evidence came to light.
In a statement released through the Professional Jockeys’ Association on Monday, Crowley said that he was the victim of “an unprovoked attack from behind with what felt like a piece of lead, and it is disappointing that I have then been accused of being the aggressor”.
On Tuesday, however, Da Silva responded to Crowley’s claims in an interview with the Press Association. “I did not use any lead,” the jockey said. “I had nothing in my hand. If I had, he wouldn’t have carried on riding [during the remainder of the meeting] because lead is heavy.
“If I had something in my hand he would have lost some teeth.If I’d hit him with lead, why not get the police involved? Everyone took his side and I was there with nobody. I will swear on my son’s life that Jim started the fight. I like to be friends with everybody, I don’t want to start trouble. It’s difficult for me now. I’m not allowed to go racing for a long time, it’s not fair.”
Yarmouth 2.00 Frank Cool 2.30 Tallulah’s Quest 3.00 Artair 3.30 Right About Now 4.00 The Night King 4.30 Servilia 5.00 Enigmatic 5.30 De Vegas Kid
Haydock 2.10 Caliburn 2.40 Ellheidi 3.10 Swiss Knight 3.40 Legal History 4.10 Sky Marshal 4.40 River Glades 5.10 Blackheath
Chelmsford 2.20 I’ll Have Another 2.50 Red Island 3.20 Danzay 3.50 Surrey Hope (nap) 4.20 Udontdodou (nb) 4.50 Hermosita 5.20 Dive For Gold
Hamilton 6.00 Picks Pinta 6.30 Diviner 7.00 Hellavashock 7.30 Mr Wagyu 8.00 Captain Revelation 8.30 Logi 9.00 Someone Exciting
Kempton 6.10 Casina Di Notte 6.40 Billy Booth 7.10 Fairlight 7.40 Berkshire Spirit 8.10 Krystallite 8.40 Lightning Charlie 9.10 Mount Cleshare
Tips by Greg Wood.
The 21-day ban imposed on Da Silva on Sunday was the highest possible penalty under the rule which covers “violent or improper conduct between trainers and riders”.
Crowley’s statement on Monday said that there was “a minor disagreement over a race-riding incident with a number of jockeys not happy with Raul’s riding”.
The fight occurred after Sunday’s first race, in which Crowley rode Charles Molson for Patrick Chamings and Da Silva was aboard Paul Cole’s Medieval. However, while the two riders’ mounts came quite close to each other approaching the final furlong as Charles Molson moved past his tiring rival, there was no obvious interference during the race between Medieval and any of his rivals.
