Galway Stewards suspend all riders in handicap hurde The Galway Festival was within one day of passing without real incident in the Stewards' Room, but the suspensions handed out following a shambolic start to the opening race of Day Seven, the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, will raise eyebrows with all 13 riders handed down a three day suspension for failing to obey the starter. Following one false start, the race was allowed start despite each of the runners virtually standing still at the tape and Yachvili and Sids Choice then both lost considerable ground as the race commenced. The Stewards subsequently found against all 13 jockeys, deeming each to be, effectively, 'out of step' with the starter. The report reads: “The Stewards received a report from Turf Club Starter, Mr J R Banahan, under Rule 40, that all the riders who participated in this race had failed to comply with his repeated instructions. Evidence was heard from M P Butler, R J Jones, K M Donoghue, B F Cawley, B Hayes, T Kelly, M A Enright, A P Heskin, M J Bolger, L A McKenna, T C Carroll, C D Maxwell, J P Kerse and Mr J R Banahan, Turf Club Starter. Having viewed a recording of the start and considered all the evidence, the Stewards were satisfied that all thirteen above named riders were in breach of Rule 208 (f) by failing to comply with the instructions of the Starter and having taken their previous records in this regard into consideration, suspended each of the above individual riders for three race days.” The Stewards, separately, suspended Matthew Bowes for two days for using his whip (on The Great Shanghai in race 3) with excessive frequency and not giving his mount a chance to respond.
