Irish Horse Racing Integrity In Question After Jockey Philip Byrnes Has ‘Very Soft’ Fall at Wexford

Horse racing in Ireland has come under the spotlight this week for its integrity after many fans took to social media to ‘call-out’ a last-flight Philip Byrnes fall at Wexford on Wednesday evening. With the horse, who is trained by his father Charles Byrnes, also drifting alarmingly in the betting. 

Horse Racing Social Media Goes Into Meltdown After ‘Very, Very Soft’ Philip Byrnes Wexford Fall

The sport of horse racing has been batting away accusations of integrity for hundreds of years. However, those at the forefront of Irish horse racing will do well to defend the latest attack coming their way.

On Wednesday night, at an average summer jumps card at Wexford, the first race on the card looked to be between Beacon Edge and the Charles Byrnes runner Redwood Queen.

The pair dominated the betting market for this 2m 1f Claiming Hurdle race. But, as the 4:55pm off time drew nearer the odds for Redwood Queen drifted alarmingly – going from 13/8 to 13/2.

While in contrast, Beacon Edge was ed as if defeat was out of the question – from around Evs to a red-hot 1/3 favourite.

Then once the race was underway – this is when the drama unfolded.

With Redwood Queen, under jockey Philip Byrnes taking a hold, but was going best coming into the last hurdle and traded as short as 1.14 in-running.

However, with the race seemingly at his mercy and the hot favourite Beacon Edge back in second – Philip Byrnes unseated from his mount in what many horse racing fans on social media are calling a ‘very, very soft’ fall.

This led to Beacon Edge winning the race by a massive 22 lengths and rewarding his backers.

While the drift in the market on Redwood Queen from 13/8 to 13/2 added further fuel to the fire on the ‘interesting’ Philip Byrnes Wexford fall.

With many horse racing followers on social media – asking, did he fall or just jump off?

Watch for yourself below.

WATCH: The Philip Byrnes Wexford Fall – When Unseating Off Redwood Queen at the Last

Redwood queen 13/8 to 13/2

Whats with those legs?

George Baker of Racing TV described it as 'Philip Byrnes will be very disappointed with that fall'

Top punditry. Well, at least punditry with a hood on pic.twitter.com/TQGP6m6Guv

— Geoff Banks (@geoffbanksbet) May 28, 2025

Wexford Stewards Took ‘No Further Action’ On The Philip Byrnes Fall

The Philip Byrnes Wexford fall on social media got more interest when it was also reported that the raceday stewards had looked into the tumble and have ‘taken no further action’. 

“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.”

It will be interesting to see if the Wexford stewards or the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board revisit the incident.

But in a month where British racing has just launched a £3.6m campaign to try and attract people to the sport – this, albeit being in Ireland, hasn’t helped.

Stewards’ report after Philip Byrnes parted company with leader Redwood Queen, trained by his father Charles Byrnes, at Wexford pic.twitter.com/rJOMq7D3TF

— Francis Keogh (@HonestFrank) May 28, 2025

 

Racing TV’s Rishi Persad Calls Out The Philip Byrnes Wexford Fall

Soon after the race had finished Racing TV’s Rishi Persad was quick to question the incident. Describing the Philip Byrnes Wexford fall as a “relatively soft unseat”.

Adding and “that’s being kind – at best – to rider Philip Byrnes and not what you’d call a regular unseat.”

With many of their viewers emailing in to call out the fall.

But in contrast, Persad’s co-presenter on the evening – former flat jockey George Baker was more inclined to ‘sit on the fence’.

Claiming the horse had come out of his hands and hit him up the backside with led to his feet coming out of the stirrups. But he did add that is was a “really, really soft fall”. 

Lots of online discussion following the opening race at Wexford earlier, and our team look back at the incident pic.twitter.com/pSoDgYpy1E

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 28, 2025

Wexford 4:55pm Full Result: Wednesday 28th May 2025