'We were very disappointed' - Willie Mullins unhappy at rider change controversy

Monday: Cork

The Willie Mullins-trained Stratum was withdrawn in controversial circumstances before the running of the 3m conditions hurdle.

With champion jockey Paul Townend stood down after injuring his thumb at Galway the previous day, Mullins nominated 7lb claimer Kieran Callaghan to take the mount on the Tony Bloom-owned gelding.

However, the raceday stewards intervened and denied the move, ruling that Callaghan was not a like-for-like replacement for Townend under IHRB regulation 3, which states a trainer must declare a rider for a reserve, if not already declared, no later than the cut-off time.

The stand-off continued and Mullins apparently refused to nominate another rider, despite plenty being available and a match for the like-for-like criterion.

Callaghan even presented himself at the scales to weigh out before the race, even though stewards ordered the horse to be withdrawn ten minutes before the start time.

The jockey had previously ridden five winners for Mullins, including Rock Road in the Mayo National at Ballinrobe in May.

Speaking from home, Mullins said: "As far as I am concerned, the stewards misused that regulation, which was brought in very successfully to stop the opposite situation occurring, where for example an inexperienced claimer could be replaced by a senior rider.

"Our situation was a clearcut one. Paul was injured and I felt Kieran was an adequate replacement. He's ridden winners for me and I was very happy to give him an opportunity on a top-class horse.

"We were very disappointed to be told that he couldn't ride, and I don't feel it's the place of the stewards to tell me who can ride my horse.

"Our representative was also not allowed to go in front of the stewards to make our case."

In the ensuing inquiry, Mullins was fined €500 for a breach of regulation 13(b), failure to comply with a reasonable request from a racing official.

Downey's fight

When Slane trainer Pat Downey appeared in the parade ring after the victory of Little Big Rocky in the 2m1f handicap hurdle, his arm was in a sling that was not there when he arrived at the track.

That was not the only scar he suffered. He was also missing a tooth as a result of an altercation with the horse exiting the horse box.

He said: "He knocked one of my teeth out and busted my hand when getting out of the box. He is a horse with no badness in him but he just got a fright, and better the trainer to be in the wars than the horse!

"They wanted to send me for an x-ray, but I persuaded the doctor to back the horse and she let me stay here until after the race."

Little Big Rocky was carrying a 14lb penalty for winning at Killarney last month, and produced a good performance under Conor McNamara as a really quick jump at the last managed to hold off Walnut Beach by a length and a half.

Downey said: "At Killarney he had to do a lot in front, today they went a nice gallop and he jumped his way into it. He probably got there soon enough but he is still learning the game.

"I said the last day that he was a nice horse and I haven't changed my mind about that.

"Chasing is his game and that's where we will go. That could be his last run over hurdles and we will treat him as a good horse and we will see what happens," he added.

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