Jockey Angle: 'Niall McCullagh has been around Listowel more times than I've had hot dinners'

On this week's episode of ‘The Jockey Angle', brought to you by William Hill, Paddy Flood's analysis features a mature ride from young jockey Abbie Fitzgibbon aboard Whatey's Quest in Listowel, a mortifying miscalculation by Niall McCullagh and a potential Guineas contender in Push The Boat Out.

Race replays are FREE to watch from all Irish tracks and a selection of premier British tracks sponsored by William Hill.

Paddy Flood's Analysis

Niall McCullagh is probably the oldest rider in the weighing room. Niall McCullagh is also a jockey coach like myself. He has donkeys years of experience and he's a good fella. He's diligent in his homework. He's diligent with the jockeys that he is coaching.

For me, Niall McCullagh does everything that a professional jockey should do, off the track and for most of his career on the track as well. But, Niall makes a little mistake here. Well, it's not a little mistake. It's a pretty big mistake.

He's third on the outside in the green colors on IamImmaculate for Gerald O'Leary. You can see now he's just starting to get busy in the saddle. He's in a good spot here. He looks like he's coming to challenge and win his race. He's good and strong. Gets his whip out. Give's the horse two slaps. There is the furlong marker. This is what we need to concentrate on is the furlong marker. There is 150 yards, 100 yards. He's gone by that. You can see Niall's head here. He's actually starting to look up for the line.

He's fighting out his finish. You watch Niall's body language. Flat out had a little look up. Niall thinks there now he's gone by the line. And that's the 50 yard marker here. He stood up on him. He hasn't even realised.

I don't think, going to the line that he realised that he had done anything wrong because usually if you do, you might just panic again. I think honestly that he thought that the finishing post was the 50 yard marker.

I do have to question, do we need the markers that late on in a race? I would say Niall McCullagh has been around Listowel more times than I've had hot dinners. I'd say he knows the track inside out.

When you're in a drive and finish, you are getting fatigued, it's like a sprinter at the end of a race. You get to a point where you're hitting a wall really, and I'd say his horse was starting to slow down underneath him.

He's got a lengthy suspension. I think he got 14 days for it or 14 or 11. Whichever it is, but it's the maximum you can receive.

I did see stuff online that, 'typical Irish bent racing' - well, it's not really, you know, that's human error and who hasn't made a mistake at work, he just mistook the winning post basically.

Do we need the markers there and what are they benefiting for? Because in my opinion, if a man that is experienced and that good of a rider gets caught doing that with a 50 yard marker, what's to say young riders aren't going to do it all the time, because he has all the experience in the book.

I'm not having a crack at Niall here. It's a rider making one small mistake and I suppose it costs owners and the trainer and maybe punters a few quid but I think it's a genuine mistake at the end of the day.