Latest news with #Philip
Scottish Sun
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
‘Spineless' – Meg Nicholls' verdict on Philip Byrnes' infamous fall as dad Charles breaks silence after horse is sold
BYRN AFTER READING 'Spineless' – Meg Nicholls' verdict on Philip Byrnes' infamous fall as dad Charles breaks silence after horse is sold Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRAVE Meg Nicholls was praised by punters for giving her no-holds-barred verdict on Philip Byrnes' infamous Wexford fall. The jockey's 'soft' unseat at the last when clear on Redwood Queen has sparked an urgent Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board investigation. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Statement issued as officials launch probe into jockey's final-flight fall on leading horse who drifted in market The mare, who has since been sold to a new trainer having belonged to Philip's brother Cathal, was a huge drifter in the betting before the off. New footage has emerged of the flashpoint, which saw Philip, whose dad Charles trained the horse, fall to his knees after the horse successfully jumped the last. Nicholls was involved in a discussion with Sun Racing's Matt Chapman and former Grand National-winning rider Mick Fitzgerald last weekend. And Meg, daughter of iconic trainer Paul, didn't hold back when giving her opinion of what happened. Quizzed by Fitzgerald: "So come on then, what are you saying, that he jumped off?" Meg without hesitation hit back: "I think it looks like it. "Watching that it looks as if he is preparing… his knee is out already. He is pushing himself out the left hand side. "It looks as if he is trying to come off." Nicholls' analysis was lauded as 'superb' by ITV viewers - but some disagreed with Fitzgerald. One took exception to his 'spineless' verdict of the incident, while others thought he offered valuable insight into what the jockey was trying to do. Either way, as Chapman wrote in his column, the outcome of the probe will more than likely depend on what can be traced, if anything, to betting patterns around the race. Byrnes senior finally broke his silence on the incident and used the opportunity to hit out at those doubting his son. He said: "It's obvious what happened. "He was trying to get the mare to go in and pop it, because obviously she had the race won, and she came up out of his hands and blew him out of the saddle. "There's no one hurting more than Philip about it." All this came as new footage of the fall was shared online. The camera, looking down towards the post from the track, focused in on how Byrnes' feet left their irons. Viewing it on Racing TV on Sunday morning, former jockey Adam McNamara conceded it 'looks really bad'. He said: "I'm going to be pro-jockey by nature and perhaps it's naive of me, but I want to believe it was an unseat. "If it was something more sinister why wait until last to do it? "It looks really bad - I think it's a really bad bit of riding. "The jockey will say he should never have fallen off that." Stewards originally decided on the day that no further action would be taken over the incident. But it was only after a social media outcry that the IHRB confirmed it was being looked into. 1 The new footage from behind focused in how Byrnes' feet left his irons mid-jump FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Spineless' – Meg Nicholls' verdict on Philip Byrnes' infamous fall as dad Charles breaks silence after horse is sold
BRAVE Meg Nicholls was praised by punters for giving her no-holds-barred verdict on Philip Byrnes' infamous Wexford fall. The jockey's 'soft' unseat at the last when clear on Redwood Queen has sparked an Advertisement Statement issued as officials launch probe into jockey's final-flight fall on leading horse who drifted in market The mare, who has since been sold to a new trainer having belonged to Philip's brother Cathal, was a huge drifter in the betting before the off. New footage has emerged of the flashpoint, which saw Philip, whose dad Charles trained the horse, fall to his knees after the horse successfully jumped the last. Nicholls was involved in a discussion with Sun Racing's Matt Chapman and former Grand National-winning rider Mick Fitzgerald last weekend. And Meg, daughter of iconic trainer Paul, didn't hold back when giving her opinion of what happened. Advertisement Quizzed by Fitzgerald: "So come on then, what are you saying, that he jumped off?" Meg without hesitation hit back: "I think it looks like it. "Watching that it looks as if he is preparing… his knee is out already. He is pushing himself out the left hand side. "It looks as if he is trying to come off." Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing Nicholls' analysis was lauded as 'superb' by ITV viewers - but some disagreed with Fitzgerald. One took exception to his 'spineless' verdict of the incident, while others thought he offered valuable insight into what the jockey was trying to do. Either way, as Byrnes senior finally broke his silence on the incident and used the opportunity to hit out at those doubting his son. Advertisement He said: "It's obvious what happened. "He was trying to get the mare to go in and pop it, because obviously she had the race won, and she came up out of his hands and blew him out of the saddle. "There's no one hurting more than Philip about it." All this came as new footage of the fall was shared online. Advertisement The camera, looking down towards the post from the track, focused in on how Byrnes' feet left their irons. Viewing it on Racing TV on Sunday morning, former jockey Adam McNamara conceded it 'looks really bad'. He said: "I'm going to be pro-jockey by nature and perhaps it's naive of me, but I want to believe it was an unseat. "If it was something more sinister why wait until last to do it? Advertisement "It looks really bad - I think it's a really bad bit of riding. "The jockey will say he should never have fallen off that." Stewards originally decided on the day that no further action would be taken over the incident. But it was only after a social media outcry that the IHRB confirmed it was being looked into. Advertisement 1 The new footage from behind focused in how Byrnes' feet left his irons mid-jump FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Prince Harry asked uncle Earl Spencer for advice about changing his surname to honour his late mother amid deepening royal rift, insider reveals
Prince Harry reportedly considered dropping his royal surname in favour of Spencer, the maiden name of his late mother Princess Diana, as tensions with his family continue to escalate. The 40-year-old royal, who is fifth in line to the British throne, has "actively explored ways to assume his mother's surname", sources told Richard Eden of The Daily Mail. It's understood he even discussed the issue with his uncle, Charles Earl Spencer, 61, during a recent trip to the UK. "They had a very amicable conversation, and Spencer advised him against taking such a step," a friend of Harry's told the outlet, noting that the legal and logistical challenges were ultimately considered too great. Had he proceeded, the move would have meant rejecting the surname Mountbatten-Windsor, the official last name used by Harry and his wife Meghan Markle's children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, who turns four this week. Mountbatten-Windsor is a combination of the late Queen Elizabeth II's royal family name and the late Prince Philip's adopted surname. Philip took on the name Mountbatten after becoming a naturalised British citizen and renouncing his Greek and Danish royal titles in 1947. The name itself traces back to Philip's maternal uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, a significant influence not only on Philip but also on his great-nephew, King Charles III. Harry himself, born Henry Charles Albert David, has traditionally used titles rather than a surname. During their school years and military service, both Harry and his brother William went by the surname Wales, derived from their father's title, the then Prince of Wales. Photos from their time in the armed forces show Harry's uniform badge labelled "Harry Wales". In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II granted Harry the title Duke of Sussex upon his marriage to Markle, who became the Duchess of Sussex. Despite leaving the Royal Family and moving to the US in 2020, Meghan has stated she continues to use "Sussex" as her surname to share the same name as her children. In the second episode of her Netflix cooking show "With Love, Meghan," she corrected guest Mindy Kaling, saying, "It's so funny you keep saying 'Meghan Markle', you know I'm Sussex now." She added, "You have kids and you go, 'No, I share my name with my children'. I didn't know how meaningful it would be to me, but it just means so much to go 'This is OUR family name. Our little family name'." Controversy further arose when Meghan was accused of using the "HRH" title privately, despite an agreement with Buckingham Palace not to do so after stepping back from royal duties. The issue came to light after a gift basket sent to a friend included a card signed "HRH The Duchess of Sussex". Meanwhile, Prince Harry remains publicly estranged from senior royals, though he recently told the BBC he "would love a reconciliation". "There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family," he said in a May interview following the rejection of his legal appeal regarding UK security arrangements. "Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things but… there's no point in continuing to fight anymore." He added: "Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has, he won't speak to me because of this security stuff. "It would be nice to reconcile." has contacted Earl Spencer and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Harry's move sparked 'furious reaction' from key royal who refused to see him
It's been over five years since Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, announced their intention to step back as full-time working royals - and at the time, their decision sent shockwaves across the UK. For the couple, things inside the monarchy had become untenable, and something needed to change - but for the rest of the Royal Family, their public announcement that they wanted to adopt a half-in, half-out approach to royal life presented a massive set of issues. The Sussexes had been spending time in Canada before their shock announcement, and Meghan had to return to the country to be with Archie - leaving Harry to attend what has been dubbed as the Sandringham Summit to hash out the details of their exit by himself. A new documentary on Channel Five - Megxit: Inside the Sandringham Summit - has seen experts and commentators dive into what really happened behind closed doors at the summit, and what the long-term impacts of it have been on the monarchy. One expert revealed that there was allegedly one senior member of the House of Windsor who was left utterly "horrified" by Harry's decision to step back: his grandfather, Prince Philip. Royal author Andrew Morton claimed in the new documentary, "Prince Philip is someone who doesn't take fools gladly, and he was horrified that they had come to a situation where the Royal Family were deciding whether to split up or not." Another expert explained the late Duke of Edinburgh's feelings were so strong that he left Sandringham altogether, rather than come face-to-face with his grandson Harry. "Philip was so angry," explained journalist Emily Andrews, "that he refused to even be there. I was told that he just couldn't bring himself to see his grandson, he thought it was a huge dereliction of duty." Whilst Prince Philip always demurred to the authority of his wife, the late Queen Elizabeth, when it came to matters of the crown, when it came to private matters, said to be "very much the head of the family ". Prince Philip had a very close relationship with both Prince Harry and his elder brother Prince William - as well as the rest of his six other grandchildren - and he was called "brilliantly effective" at helping the two brothers when they tragically lost their mother in 1997. Author Tina Brown wrote: "A member of the Balmoral staff [where the boys were when they received the news Diana had died] noted that Prince Philip, who had effectively lost his own mother at the age of 10 when she was committed for three years to an asylum in Switzerland, was brilliantly effective with his grandsons, offering them gruff tenderness and outdoor activities like stalking and hiking to tire them out". Equally, the Independent reports that during the planning of Diana's funeral, Prince Philip reminded those involved in organising the day that "It's about the boys, they've lost their mother." He also helped them on the day of the funeral itself, when he told them he would join them in the funeral procession, saying "I'll walk if you walk." However, despite their close bond, the year following the Sandringham Summit and Harry's decision to leave royal life behind that Prince Philip passed away - only a month after the Sussexes sat down with Oprah Winfrey for their bombshell interview detailing the reasons why they had chosen to walk away. Prince Harry returned for his grandfather's funeral, which, subject to social distancing restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had a limited number of guests. He paid tribute to his grandfather in a moving statement, "He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end."
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Under fire jockey Philip Byrnes gets first winner since Wexford unseat controversy
Young jockey wins as Sonnyboyliston comes out swinging at Listowel Under-fire jockey Philip Byrnes has returned to the winners enclosure at Listowel after his controversial final-hurdle unseat at Wexford. The young pilot shot to the attention of punters and stewards in midweek after falling off a horse that looked certain to win. Byrnes was leading the Wexford Claiming Hurdle on Redwood Queen, who is trained by his father Charles, heading into the last obstacle before falling off in a fashion which sparked heated social-media and TV debate and has brought a review from Irish racing chiefs. The duo teamed-up, however, with Philip getting a first winner since the incident aboard ex-top Flat horse Sonnyboyliston in Listowel's Supporters Club Maiden Hurdle today. Winner of the 2021 Irish St Leger, the eight-year-old triumphed to please punters having been backed on-course from 6/4 to 4/6 favourite. On the Wednesday incident, the raceday stewards at Wexford felt no further action was required, but the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board have since said the will review. 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 traded at 1.14 in running beforehand. The Wexford stewards report said: 'The raceday stewards reviewed the unseating of Philip Byrnes, rider of Redwood Queen, at the last hurdle when leading. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the matter, the raceday stewards took no further action.' The incident sparked a tasty debate on Saturday morning's ITV Opening Show. Ex-jockey Mick Fitzgerald gave his view on the unseat as footage was shown to viewers and said: 'When you see it on the head-on angle, watch what happens, you'll see his foot come flying out of the stirrup and suddenly his balance has gone to the other side and then he's gone.' But fellow pundit Megan Nicholls, daughter of multiple-times champion trainer Paul, said: 'But Mick, you have to argue that, to watch that, it looks as if he's jumping off before the horse has basically taken off for the hurdle.' Speaking to The Irish Field on Friday, Charles Byrnes said he and Philip would be happy to co-operate with any investigation. Asked to explain what happened in the race, the trainer said: 'The mare was running well, going down to the last. Philip has had a couple of last fence falls recently so he wanted her to go in short, pop it and make doubly sure. But she came up out of his hands, hit him on the backside and he was knocked off balance. 'He is very upset about it and won't look at his phone. I was delighted he was able to go racing in Limerick the next day and he gave our two runners two good rides there. The other jockeys have been very supportive, to be fair to them. 'Philip is only 21 and I hope he can get over this setback. He is a good rider. He doesn't get many outside rides but anyone who has used him has been very happy with him. It's a sad day if the Turf Club has to hold an investigation to please these faceless people on social media. We will answer any questions they have. We have nothing to answer to.'
