Cheltenham Gold Cup interloper gatecrashes Yarmouth celebrations
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
By Racinguk.com staff
Richard Melia, the man who gatecrashed Sizing John's Cheltenham Gold Cup celebrations, is set to be banned from all tracks owned by Arena Racing Company after appearing in the winner's enclosure at Yarmouth on Thursday.
Melia, who was spotted next to Frankel on Champions Day back in 2012, was present in the Yarmouth paddock after the Jim Crowley-ridden Gabr won the opener.
Glen Tubby, executive director at Yarmouth, confirmed Melia had been ejected from the racecourse following the incident, and expects ARC to ban him from its venues in the future.
"There has been a stewards' inquiry on the matter involving the gentleman leading in the horse," he said.
"Upon finding out about this incident, we have made inquiries with our head office regarding terms and conditions of entry that he may have breached.
"While all that was happening, he was under surveillance by security because he had been positively identified. Upon discovering he was in breach in terms of entry, he was ejected from the racecourse at approximately 3.40pm.
Melia has been a serial celebration gatecrasher
"He has now gone and it is likely he will be banned from all ARC racecourses in the future."
Melia has encroached on the celebrations on more than one occasion, being snapped with the likes of Collier Bay after his 1996 Champion Hurdle victory, while he was also pictured after Auroras Encore won the Grand National in 2013 and when Camelot won the Derby in 2012.
He said: "I only did it because I had a bet on the horse. It was not a real one, just a friendly one.
"I will have to go to the Breeders' Cup next as they are on to me in England.
"I've done other sports since the Gold Cup. I did the Anthony Joshua versus Wladimir Klitschko fight and shook hands with them both after the fight.
"I've done the Moto GP at Jerez in Spain. The King was there so I got thrown off the grid, but I met Valentino Rossi. I climbed over lorries and fences and cut my leg to get on the grid."
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