'This is ridiculous' - Ruby Walsh and Richard Hoiles slam delayed Greatwood

A delay to the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham as hurdles were belatedly dolled off owing to low sun was slammed as "ridiculous" by ITV pundit Ruby Walsh.

Commentator Richard Hoiles also spoke out at the race going off six minutes late, with groundstaff slow to take the actions needed when the hurdles were omitted, labelling it "absolutely bizarre."

However, clerk of the course Jon Pullin defended his team and insisted advice needed to be taken from jockeys, saying a decision was not made unilaterally "because I'm not the one riding in the race."

Hoiles, the lead commentator for ITV Racing, sounded exasperated as the horses circled at the start before the decision was eventually made to omit three hurdles from the 2m race, which was won by I Like To Move It.

As the field was waiting at the start, Hoiles said on air: "What has changed in the last five minutes? We've still got groundstaff by the last flight, which will surely have to be dolled off as well.

"Everyone is standing around, the clock's ticking. It's absolutely bizarre. The right decision might well have been made but the sun has been out all afternoon. Surely this could have been done ten minutes ago. Sometimes we really do not help ourselves."

Walsh, a former champion jockey, added: "I agree with you, Richard. Common sense seems to have gone out of the window here. To me this is ridiculous."

Trainer Harry Fry, who saddled Gin Coco to finish second in the Greatwood, did not question the decision to remove the hurdles but was left wondering why officials had not been proactive in reaching a conclusion earlier.

"If the clerk can make a decision half an hour ago, why not take the hurdles out rather than having a chicane around them?” he said.

“That decision could have been made half an hour ago and hurdles could have been taken out. You're then on the racing line, which is the safer line, rather than having to chicane.

"Why is it up to the jockeys to get to the start and make a decision? People should be able to make that decision before then."

Jockey Tom Bellamy, who finished fifth on Nina The Terrier, acknowledged the importance of horse welfare when coming to a verdict, but agreed with Fry that officials should be in a position to take more of a leading role reaching a conclusion on removing obstacles.

"Horse safety comes first but it can be annoying if you're on a good jumper and you get beat,” the rider said.

“It comes down to the shadow in front of the obstacles. It is annoying but now, more than ever, horse welfare has to come first.

“Maybe it should be down to the stewards or the clerk of the course [to decide]."

The final decision to approve the removal of hurdles must be made by racecourse stewards, with a note from officials stating: “Following concerns raised by the riders at the start, regarding the low sun obscuring their vision at the two hurdles in the home straight, the stewards consulted with the clerk of the course and ordered that these obstacles should be by-passed.”

Pullin said the call to take out the hurdles was made as promptly as possible once the riders had arrived at the start, but that it was essential the jockeys were present to assess conditions rather than him and his team making the decision for them.

Explaining the process, Pullin said: “We make a decision as early as we can and the jockeys got down to the start and took it. It would need a jockey to go out there early to have a look and they went down and looked as soon as they could. It has to be a jockey decision.

“Any delay is not ideal and we're always looking to do what we can to keep races running to time and we'll consider doing whatever we can to get them off [on time] in the future."

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