Key events
BHA investigation into alleged abuse ongoing
Greg Wood
The stewards’ inquiry into alleged racist abuse by leading jockey Nico de Boinville, which was lodged by an Irish amateur, Declan Queally, after Wednesday’s opening race at the Cheltenham festival will not conclude until after the meeting’s final day on Friday, the British Horseracing Authority said on Thursday.
The inquiry was opened on Wednesday after Queally complained that he had been subjected to verbal abuse, some of it racist in nature, by De Boinville as a big field jostled for starting positions before the two-mile, five-furlong Turners Novice Hurdle.
Some of the verbal exchange between the two riders could be seen on ITV Racing’s live coverage. Queally subsequently told Matt Chapman, an ITV Racing reporter, as he returned to weigh in that “being abused by an English rider, Nico de Boinville, is not very nice. I’m an amateur, I’m coming over here riding in front of my kids and that, horrific.”
An initial update on the progress of the stewards’ inquiry stated that after hearing initial statements from Queally and De Boinville, it had been adjourned “to obtain further evidence”.
A BHA spokesman said on Thursday that “the process of gathering evidence will continue over the course of the coming days and will involve speaking to jockeys and reviewing broadcast footage. This process will take some time and will therefore not be concluded during the Festival.”
Preamble
Greg Wood
Good morning from Cheltenham on day three of the 2026 Cheltenham festival, and on a day when there will be a laser-sharp focus on: a) the starts; and b) Nico de Boinville, following the allegations of racial abuse levelled against Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey by the Irish amateur, Declan Queally, after a chaotic start to the Turners Novice Hurdle, the opening race on Wednesday.
The stewards’ inquiry into the incident is expected to resume at the course this morning and there could presumably be a result well before De Boinville heads out for the first of his two rides on the card: Impose Toi in the Stayers’ Hurdle at 3.20pm (all times GMT), and the ever-popular Jonbon in the Ryanair Chase at 4pm.
Before we get that far, though, there are a couple of big fields that need to be sent on their way, with a maximum line-up of 22 in the Mares’ Novice Hurdle at 1.20pm and 19 going to post for the Jack Richards Novice Handicap Chase at 2pm.
The starts for both the Turners Novice Hurdle and the BetMGM Cup yesterday, with maximum fields of two-and-a-half mile hurdlers jostling for position, were far from satisfactory, and the fall-out included a suggestion by Max McNeill, the co-owner of the beaten favourite in the opener, No Drama This End, that “the Irish jockeys know what they are doing and they are going to make it as difficult for the class horses in the race as possible”.
There are two very obvious “class horses” in the opener today and both, as it happens, are trained in Ireland: Bambino Fever, last year’s Champion Bumper winner from the Willie Mullins stable, and Gordon Elliott’s Oldschool Outlaw. All eyes will be on them as they circle at the start as Paul Townend and Mark Walsh, their riders, try to get a decent racing position on mares that like to race up with the pace.
Elsewhere on today’s card, there are three Grade One events, although the Mares’ Hurdle is short on quality after Lossiemouth’s diversion to the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday and Wodhooh will be very hard to beat. Fact To File, the Irish Gold Cup winner, will also be short in the Ryanair Chase, but there is much more depth to the competition in the Stayers’ Hurdle, where seasoned campaigners including Teahupoo and Bob Olinger will take on several very promising up-and-comers including Ma Shantou and Dan Skelton’s Kabral Du Mathan.
You can, as ever, keep on top of all the news, views, results, betting moves and more here on the blog, from the first race at 1.20pm to the finale, the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir for amateur riders, at 5.20pm (and, if it’s anything like Wednesday, for several hours afterwards, too.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/mar/12/cheltenham-festival-2026-news-previews-tips-updates-day-three
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