Investigation into Redwood Queen unseat nearing a conclusion

The two-month investigation into Philip Byrnes' unseat from Redwood Queen is nearing a conclusion,  the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Body said on Tuesday.

Byrnes parted company with the mare, who was a notable market drifter, at the last flight of a claiming race at Wexford on May 28, handing victory to odds-on favourite and well-backed Beacon Edge.

Charles Byrnes, father of the jockey and trainer of the mare at the time, subsequently said that neither had anything to answer for and blamed the IHRB's investigation on the authorities feeling the need to "please these faceless people on social media".

When contacted on Tuesday, an IHRB spokesman said: "We can confirm that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Redwood Queen’s unseat at Wexford is with our Racing Regulation and Integrity department and is nearing a conclusion.

"The IHRB is committed to ensuring the matter is concluded in a timely and thorough manner, with regard to due process and fair procedures."

Philip Byrnes has not spoken to the media about the unseat since the incident.

Although the raceday stewards took no action against the jockey, an IHRB spokesperson said the following morning: "We note the position of the raceday stewards following their review of the incident. We can now confirm the matter is down for review by an IHRB senior racing official." 

The Wexford stewards' report said: "The raceday stewards reviewed the unseating of Philip Byrnes, rider of Redwood Queen, at the last hurdle when leading. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the matter, the raceday stewards took no further action."

When queried afterwards as to what the investigation would entail, given the lack of precedence for such a case, the IHRB spokesman said: "When conducting any review or investigation, an IHRB Senior Racing Official collaborates with and has the full support of IHRB colleagues across all departments and, depending on the nature of the matter, may also engage with external service providers or stakeholders as appropriate."

Redwood Queen is due to have her first run since at Galway on Wednesday, for trainer Cian Collins.