
Byrnes' final-hurdle unseat to be reviewed by IHRB
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board will review jockey Philip Byrnes' final-hurdle unseat at Wexford on Wednesday.Byrnes was leading the Wexford Claiming Hurdle on Redwood Queen, who is trained by his father Charles, heading into the final hurdle.However, Byrnes was unseated after appearing to become unstable as Redwood Queen jumped the last, which allowed 1-3 favourite Beacon Edge to win by a comfortable margin.The raceday stewards at Wexford felt no further action was required, but the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) will now review the incident.A IHRB spokesperson said on Thursday: "We note the position of the raceday stewards following their review of the incident. I can confirm the matter is down for review by an IHRB senior racing official."The review will take into consideration the incident on the racecourse and other factors, such as betting patterns of the race.Redwood Queen had drifted from 7-2 to 13-2 in the betting odds, and was running at 1/7 in-play at the time of the fall.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
FA Cup balls are ready for a wide-open Derby with no obvious winner
Epsom has hired the balls and equipment used in FA Cup draws to add a touch of glamour to proceedings when the stall positions in Saturday's Derby are allocated in the town centre on Wednesday. From a punter's perspective, however, a wide-open race and one of the biggest fields this century promise to be the only selling points required for the 246th running of the Classic. Twenty colts remain in contention at the penultimate declaration stage on Monday. There are few sights in the sport to match the spectacle and excitement of a big field charging down the Epsom hill towards Tattenham Corner, but it is 22 years since Kris Kin and Kieren Fallon beat 19 rivals, the only Derby since the turn of the century with a maximum field of 20. That size field is still a possibility thanks to the addition of two lightly raced dark horses on Monday at a cost of £75k apiece. Midak, an unbeaten colt who runs in the colours of Aga Khan IV, who died in February, and New Ground, who was a length behind Cualificar, the runner-up in Sunday's French Derby, in April, will join Ruling Court, the 2,000 Guineas winner, and the significant trial winners at Leopardstown, York and Chester in the probable field when a multitude of questions about the runners' stamina, speed, athleticism and attitude will prove to have just one answer. Delacroix, the comfortable winner of Leopardstown's main Derby trial, heads the ante-post betting at a top price of 11-4, but his position at the top of the market is still far from guaranteed, with Ruling Court little more than a point behind on 4-1 and Pride Of Arras, the unbeaten Dante winner, next at 9-2. The Lion In Winter, Delacroix's stable companion at the Aidan O'Brien yard, is a single-figure price despite his defeat in the Dante, while Damysus, the runner-up behind Pride Of Arras at York, will be the first port of call for many each-way backers at around 10-1. Delacroix is, in some respects, an ideal favourite for one of the few races that can grab the general sporting public's attention. O'Brien and Ryan Moore, his trainer and (probable) jockey, need little introduction, Delacroix's form is impressive with the promise of more to come, and yet, the odds hide the truth in plain sight. Take out the bookies' margin and there is around a 25% chance he will be a record-extending 11th Derby winner for his trainer – and, by the same token, a 75% chance he will not. We have, after all, been here several times before with O'Brien-trained winners of the Leopardstown trial. He has won the race a remarkable 17 times, but only Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002), his first two Derby winners, followed up at Epsom. Delacroix was O'Brien's 14th Leopardstown trial winner since High Chaparral. Eleven of the previous 13 went on to run in the Derby without success, including Bolshoi Ballet, the 13-8 favourite in 2021, Fame And Glory (9-4), Stone Age (7-2), Broome (4-1) and Recital (5-1). When Delacroix is considered as potentially the latest in a long line of failures, even his top price of 11-4 loses much of its appeal. Yet the fascinating thing about this year's Derby is that there is a serious question about every horse near the top of the betting. For Ruling Court, it is stamina, for Pride Of Arras and Damysus, it is experience, while The Lion In Winter needs to bounce back from his Dante defeat. William Buick and Charlie Appleby, Ruling Court's jockey and trainer respectively, have two of the five Classics in the bag this year and could have a third by the time the field goes to post on Saturday as Desert Flower, the 1,000 Guineas winner, is favourite for Friday's Oaks. Leicester 2.17 Ottoman 2.47 Magnatura 3.17 Sovereign Lord 3.47 Korroor 4.17 Archivist 4.47 Chalk Mountain 5.17 Giselles Defence 5.47 Toolatetonegotiate Southwell 2.30 Harel Du Marais 3.00 Jimmy The Digger 3.30 Ladies Day 4.00 Zucayan 4.30 Delgany Bobby Blue 5.00 Champetre Lingfield 6.15 Tatmeen 6.45 Drouthy Neebor 7.15 Beckford's Folly 7.45 Sugar Hill Babe 8.15 Another Abbot 8.45 Me Tarzan Wolverhampton 6.30 Two B Tanned (nap) 7.00 Noble Consort (nb) 7.30 Off The Bench 8.00 Aspire To Glory 8.30 Calibos 9.00 Cheese The One An Oaks success on Desert Flower would complete the set of British Classics for trainer and rider, while no jockey has ridden the first four Classic winners in a season. A win for Ruling Court would set up the intriguing possibility of an attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1970 in September's St Leger at Doncaster. 'They will either stay or they won't, it's as simple as that,' Buick said on Monday. 'Obviously you have to ride them accordingly, but equally you can't make a horse stay and where you find out is inside the last couple of furlongs. You won't get an indication before that. You look to get your position, shut them down and then freewheel until you want to get competitive. 'The Classics are what it's all about. Each season you set out to find a Classic horse. There's the question mark about the distance, but I feel like I'm on the best two horses.'


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Pandox consortium proposes to buy Ireland's Dalata Hotel for $1.48 billion
June 3 (Reuters) - A consortium consisting of property owners Pandox AB ( opens new tab and Eiendomsspar AS have proposed to buy Ireland's largest hotel group Dalata (DHG.I), opens new tab for 1.3-billion-euro ($1.48 billion). The proposal comprises a cash offer of 6.05 euros per ordinary share of Dalata, representing a premium of about 5% to the Irish firm's closing price on Monday. Eiendomsspar currently holds about 8.8% of Dalata's issued ordinary shares, making it the second largest shareholder in the Irish hotel group. The offer comes after Ireland's largest hotel group, Dalata, launched a strategic review in March to explore options for enhancing shareholder value, including a potential sale. Dalata operates 55 hotels under the Maldron Hotel and Clayton Hotel brands, with most located in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The consortium has until July 15 to make a formal offer for Dalata or walk away, under British takeover rules. ($1 = 0.8755 euros)


BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
More than 70 attacks or death threats against journalists in North recorded
There have been more than 70 attacks and death threats against journalists in the North over the last six years, a report by Amnesty International has found. The region has been described as the most dangerous place in Ireland and Britain to be a reporter following the report which includes accounts from journalists under threat. Advertisement Occupational Hazard? Threats And Violence Against Journalists In Northern Ireland reveals that reporters have been told they will be shot or stabbed, threatened with bombs under their car and given 48-hour ultimatums to leave. Lyra McKee was killed in 2019 (Family handout/PA) Two journalists, Martin O'Hagan and Lyra McKee, were killed in 2001 and 2019 respectively, while others have been physically attacked, had equipment damaged and cars battered with poles laced with nails. Many journalists have taken safety measures in their homes with bulletproof windows and doors with alarms linked up to police stations. The report has added up more than 70 incidents of threats or attacks on journalists in Northern Ireland since the start of 2019. Advertisement Most of the threats have come from a range of proscribed paramilitary groups – loyalist and republican – as well as from armed organised crime groups, some with links to paramilitaries. The report also finds that most threats against journalists go unpunished, and there have been no prosecutions for any threats from paramilitary groups. Some journalists interviewed by Amnesty for the report said they feel the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has failed to effectively investigate attacks and threats against them. Since June 2022, there have been only two successful prosecutions for threats against journalists. Advertisement The report additionally finds that with journalists excluded from the Government's home protection scheme, which funds the installation of security measures, many have been left feeling at risk. The report makes a number of recommendations, including the establishment of a new media safety group by Justice Minister Naomi Long, with representatives from the PSNI, Public Prosecution Service (PPS), media organisations and the NUJ, to deliver a new journalist safety strategy. It also calls for the PSNI to review its procedural response to threats and attacks against journalists and conduct investigations capable of leading to successful prosecutions, and to produce new guidance and training for officers on the protection of journalists during public disorder. The Northern Ireland Office and Department of Justice have been urged to ensure at-risk journalists can access the home protection scheme. Advertisement The UK government has also been urged to establish an independent public inquiry into the 2001 murder of Martin O'Hagan if the expected Police Ombudsman's investigation finds serious failings or wrongdoing by the police. Seamus Dooley of the National Union of Journalists (Liam McBurney/PA) Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International UK's Northern Ireland director, said Northern Ireland is the most dangerous place in the UK for journalists. 'They are being threatened, attacked and even killed for shining a light on paramilitary groups and others who seek to exert control through violence,' he said. 'This creates a climate of fear that many assumed was consigned to history when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. Advertisement 'Yet there has not been a single prosecution for threats against journalists from paramilitary groups. This sense of impunity only emboldens those behind the threats. 'When journalists are under attack, press freedom is under attack. The state must create a safe environment where journalists can work freely and report without fear of reprisals. It is currently failing to do so.' National Union of Journalists assistant general secretary Seamus Dooley added: 'In what is supposed to be normalised society, post the peace process, journalists are living in fear and behind high-security measures. 'That really is not the sign of a normal functioning democracy.' Responding, Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson, who acts as the PSNI lead for journalist safety, said police have received the Amnesty report and 'will take time to consider the contents and recommendations'. 'The Police Service of Northern Ireland takes the safety of journalists very seriously and has been very much involved in developing both national and local plans to tackle this issue over the last couple of years,' he said. 'As a result, we have developed a joint strategy and joint plan with NUJ and with local editors. 'We have appointed two Journalist Safety Officers, established an internal Journalist Safety Group, implemented screening arrangements within our contact management centre and ensured that reports of threats and crimes by journalists are investigated by detectives. 'The Police Service has also arranged a number online seminars for local media around internet and personal safety. 'Journalists do not have to tolerate threats and crimes as part of their role. That has been our recent, consistent message. If any journalist needs advice in relation to an incident, threat or crime which is connected to your role as a journalist, please contact 101 and report the matter. 'I would also encourage journalists to speak with one of the Journalist Safety Officers in our Strategic Communications and Engagement Department.'