Ted Walsh cleared of any wrongdoing in Foxrock shoes case

Five months later and dispute is finally resolved

There wasn't too much notice taken of one of Ted Walsh's horses coming home third at a race in Punchestown last December. Despite being heavily fancied Foxrock was beaten into third in the Weatherbys Ireland Handicap Chase and that it seemed was that. However the Turf club took a different view and they began a stewards inquiry into the race and how the horse was handled by jockey Adrian Heskin. Their inquiry subsequently claimed that the horse had lost both of its front shoes and Heskin was banned for a day for not informing officials of the impairment to the horse. However the inquiry was re-opened last month after it was alleged that new evidence had come to light to suggest that the horse was seen in the parade ring after the race with the two front shoes back on. It all seemed quite bizarre and last month Walsh faced a Turf Club’s Referrals Committee to answer further questions about the running and riding of his mount. Today's 10 page report totally clears Walsh of any wrongdoing and  the committee rejected allegations against him that he

'Removed or secured the removal of the front shoes from Foxrock once he was alerted to the stewards’ enquiry into the running and riding of the horse. (ii) He concealed from the Turf Club and misled the Turf Club’s officers and stewards as to the true consequences in which the shoes were removed, suggesting variously and inaccurately that they came off in the race or on the walk to the veterinary unit.'

Jockey Heskin however is likely to face some further penalty as the report finds that he was guilty of not pushing the horse as much as he could have during the race

'In the case of Mr Heskin, the Committee agreed with the evidence of Mr Matthews and Mr Noel O’Brien that with a more forceful ride in the closing stages it was probable that Foxrock could have achieved second place in the race. In the absence of any valid excuse or reason, the Committee found that Mr Heskin was in breach of Rule 212 by failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures in the latter part of the race to achieve the best possible placing, but was not guilty of any other breach of rule'

Walsh called on Aiden O'brein and Willie Mullins as witnesses during the hearing last month The full 10 page report is available here