Cheltenham festival 2026: racism inquiry continues before day three action – live

2m ago 06.57 EDT 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.”