Robbie Power “The BHA are Making a Mockery of Themselves and the Sport”

In his latest blog post, BoyleSports Racing Ambassador Robbie Power reflects on a ‘disappointing’ Cheltenham and gives his thoughts on the National Hunt Chase controversy.

Although Robbie Power left Cheltenham without a winner this year, the Gold Cup winning jockey said he was ‘delighted’ with the way some of the horses he rode performed most notably Lostintranslation.

Speaking on the Colin Tizzard owned 7-year-old he said “I think he’s a really exciting horse for the future and he put up a brilliant performance in the JLT. Going into next season I think the Gold Cup would be the plan for him, but we’ll go to Aintree first and take it step by step”

On the BHA’s decision to issue bans to Rob James, Noel McParlan and Declan Lavery for continuing in the National Hunt Chase when it appeared to be contrary to the horse’s welfare, Robbie chastised the move saying;

The BHA are making a mockery of themselves and the sport and I thought what Tony Mcoy said in his interview on ITV was true.

“The stewards were the only ones who thought they should pull the horses up. You’re taking judgement away from the jockeys. They’re making themselves into idiots!”

Taking aim at the stewards for calling the jockeys ‘inexperience amateur riders’ Robbie hit back, “Jamie Codd, Barry O’Neill and Derek O Connor jump more fences in a year than Ruby Walsh or Barry Geraghty . They’re amateur in name only and it would be a shame to not have them riding at the festival.”

Praising the success of female jockeys at the festival Power commented, “Bryony Frost and Rachael Blackmore are two very good jockeys and Lizzie Kelly also bagged a winner so between them they had 4 winners which just goes to show that they can compete in the same sport given the opportunity”