“If you don’t like racing, go watch Peppa Pig” – Ted Walsh fights horse racing’s corner

When Ted Walsh gets riled up, there's no stopping him.

Like Eamon Dunphy and like Joe Brolly, there's absolutely no point in arguing because the man has words at will and he'd talk his way out of a dead-end anyway. On Thursday afternoon, few were arguing. There have been some almighty Cheltenham highs this week, in Bryony Frost's famous victory and Andrew Gemmill's heartwarming win with Paisley Park but unfortunately the talk of the town has revolved around Irish jockey Declan Lavery. He was handed a ten day ban by the BHA for his ride on Jerrysback on Tuesday evening but the jockeys' union had his back. AP McCoy came out fighting, pleading with ITV viewers that if this is the way we're going, banning jockeys for riding horses the way they're told, then what the hell are we at?

"What are we going to do? Are we going to do away with racing then?" he asked passionately.

Ted Walsh was singing off the same hymn sheet. Racing TV caught him at a good time after his horse Any Second Now obliged in the Kim Muir chase and when asked about his opinion on the subject, Ted Walsh did what Ted Walsh does. He didn't even need his gifted gab to strike a chord but the Kill man only went and created some gold anyway.

"I thought it was a disgraceful decision, but I'm used to disgraceful decisions," he began.

And in the face of criticism from safety and cruelty concerns, Walsh stood up for horse racing like every follower wanted him to.

"Horses get killed, jockeys get injured, no-one knows that better than me watching Ruby, I got injured myself, it's part of the game...it's a wonderful sport."

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