Stewards flex their muscles at Galway What a week of horse racing it was last week. Between Galway and Goodwood the action was coming thick and fast and for the majority of it the punters for a change had the upper hand over the bookies. There were many memorable performances, but for me two stood out above all the others: Daniel King becoming the first jockey to complete the Galway Plate/Galway Hurdle double since Joe Byrne did it in 1984, and the victory of Bow Echo in the Sussex Stakes. Daniel King's Remarkable Rise King at just 21-years-old is riding the crest of a wave at the moment. His big Galway double accounted for just two of the fourteen winners he rode in July, which is a remarkable achievement for a rider not attached to one of the big four National Hunt yards. Tony Martin, one of the best amateur riders of his generation and an astute trainer who knows a good jockey when he sees one, said after the victory of Putapoundinthejar at Bellewstown last month: "He's not an easy horse, but your man (Daniel King) is just an excellent rider - what a rider! I shouldn't be saying it, but you'd love to see him in one of the top yards, but then he wouldn't be able to ride for me! He's on a par with Jack Kennedy and those boys. I haven't seen anything as good since the likes of Ruby Walsh." High praise indeed from the man who has himself trained the winners of five Galway Hurdles (another remarkable achievement). Daniel King certainly looks to have a very bright future ahead of him — and the same can be said for the unbeaten three-year-old Bow Echo. Article highlights: Daniel King became the first jockey since 1984 to win both the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle in the same year Bow Echo emulated Frankel by completing the 2000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, and Sussex Stakes treble Two jockeys, Eoin Staples and Leigh Roche, were the first in Ireland in 17 years to fail alcohol breath tests at a race meeting IHRB stewards issued €4,665 in fines for parade ring infringements, including a €3,000 penalty against jockey Danny Mullins Bow Echo's Frankel Comparisons Bow Echo was emulating the great Frankel when he completed the 2000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes treble at Goodwood last week. In common with Frankel, Bow Echo possesses a blistering turn of pace. He looked in real trouble for much of the race at Goodwood as he was stuck in a Ballydoyle pocket, but when Billy Loughnane got him into the clear he quickened up in some style and it will be exciting to follow his progress during the second half of the season. Frankel had an unblemished racing career of 14 straight victories, but never raced outside of England. Bow Echo is just six races unbeaten at the moment, but there are plans to head to France next, for either the Prix Jacques le Marois or the Prix du Moulin, and then a tilt at the Breeders Cup Mile in Keeneland at the end of October is on the cards. Bow Echo still has plenty to prove before he can be compared to the great Frankel, but taking into account that his winning times at Newmarket, Royal Ascot and Goodwood were all faster than Frankel achieved to win the same races, I do think we are witnessing the emergence of a rare talent. Stewards Crack Down at Galway Back to Galway and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) stewards had a busy week. The headline-grabber was the two jockeys that were stood down on the final day of the festival for failing alcohol breath tests. Top conditional rider Eoin Staples and experienced flat jockey Leigh Roche became the first jockeys in Ireland to fail alcohol tests at a race meeting for 17 years. Both riders had in excess of 22 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath and were deemed unfit to ride in a race. This is the same limit that applies to motorists driving a car. It is worth mentioning that Sunday's alcohol testing carried out by the IHRB was the third day during the week at Galway that all riders were tested. Staples had ridden at the course on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, while Roche had ridden every day from Tuesday through to Saturday and had ridden two winners. It should also be stated that these tests carried out by the IHRB's Doping Control Officers took place in the afternoons when the jockeys arrived at the races, unlike the early morning checkpoints done by the Gardai, which most people would be familiar with. Eoin Staples failed his breath test at 2.23pm and Leigh Roche's failed test occurred shortly after 3.15pm. Both riders will now face Referral Hearings over the incidents. Amateur rider Declan Queally was also in trouble with the stewards at Galway on Sunday. He had an altercation with race starter Joe Banahan in the weigh room following the running of the second race in which his mount Rocky's Howya, a confirmed front runner, was at the back of the field when the start was initiated. The matter has been referred on to a Senior Racing Official for further investigation. Suspensions and Fines Across the Week Considering the pressure jockeys are under to deliver during the week at Galway, it is remarkable that only two riders picked up bans for excessive use of the whip across the 54 races. One other rider received a suspension for continuing to use his whip when his mount was clearly out of contention. Compare that to: 9 riders who received suspensions for careless riding during the week A further 15 jockeys who were suspended for failing to obey the starter at the beginning of the Galway Blazers Handicap Chase on Friday Another issue that cropped up repeatedly during the week at Galway was parade ring infringements. The IHRB handed out a total of €4,665 in fines to trainers and jockeys for not adhering to the rules and regulations when their horses were in the parade ring. The largest of those fines was in relation to a Willie Mullins trained runner in the Galway Hurdle, Tounsivator. The horse "was repeatedly turned back against the flow of the other parading horses and circled at the exit gate causing congestion amongst the other runners." The stewards took a dim view of this and fined the trainer €500, but were particularly unhappy with the actions the horse's rider Danny Mullins "by his conduct in directing the groom to turn the horse back and forth across the grass when in close proximity to the crowd when it was already being quite fractious." The rider was fined a total of €3,000 for his involvement in the incident. A Unique Challenge for Officials The Galway parade ring must be the busiest at any racecourse. Large fields for most races and every runner accompanied by not only their trainer and owners, but often an extended entourage of friends and family. Then when the winners return to the parade ring after each race the amount of well-wishers and hangers-on that get past the parade ring security swells numbers to extraordinary levels. I suppose this is one aspect which makes Galway races so unique. However, it must be a nightmare trying to police that area across the week and it's no wonder the IHRB are clamping down on licence holders that infringe any of their rules and regulations in the parade ring.
