‘Shy’ Meg Nicholls’ verdict on Philip Byrnes’s infamous fall as father Charles breaks silence after horse sold sparks controversy

The world of horse racing in Ireland has been shaken by a scandal that has questioned the integrity of the sport, focused on the controversial fall of the Philip Byrnes rider during a race in Wexford on May 28, 2025. What initially seemed like a simple accident in the last fence has become a whirlwind of accusations, regulatory revisions and divided opinions between experts between experts and fans. In the epicenter of the controversy is Redwood Queen, the mare trained by the father of Byrnes, Charles, who has broken his silence just when the sale of the horse for 6,000 euros to a new coach has fueled the flames of the controversy. But it has been the verdict of the former Jinete and analyst of ITV Racing, Megan Nicholls – an ironically “Shy” for her usual reserve on the screen -, which has lit social networks and television debates, suggesting that the fall was not a mere error, but something deliberate.

The race in question was the first of the day at the Wexford racecourse, a modest test of claim on 2 miles and 1 Furlong. Redwood Queen, a six -year -old mare with a history of six wins under the tutoring of Charles Byrnes, left as one of the favorites after opening 7/2 in bets. However, in a movement that raised immediate suspicions, its quotas shot up to 13/2 before the exit, a drift in the market that many interpreted as a sign of irregularities. Philip Byrnes, son of the coach and experienced rider, guided the mare with apparent comfort. By folding the last curve, Redwood Queen unmarked with two advantage lengths over the favorite Beacon Edge, trained by Gordon Elliott and quoted at 1/3. The cameras captured how the mare approached the last fence with authority, skipping it cleanly and landing with the four firm legs. It was then that the inexplicable happened: Byrnes lost his balance, his right foot came out of the stirrup and the rider rushed to the right side, falling from knees on the ground while the mare continued galloping dismantled.

Beacon Edge, taking advantage of the unexpected gift, crossed the finish line with a crushing advantage of 22 lengths, generously rewarding his traigators. At the time, Wexford’s career commissioners reviewed the images and decided not to take additional measures, describing the incident as an “rider imbalance.” However, the Irish Horacing Regulatory Board (IHRB) announced the next day that a senior officer would initiate an exhaustive review, considering not only the video of the race, but also suspected betting patterns. Redwood Queen had quoted 1.14 live during the final stretch, which implied an almost safe probability of victory. This detail, combined with the history of the Byrnes family – including past controversies such as the Viking Hoard case in 2018, where Charles was suspended for six months due to negligence in the supervision of a drugged horse – has fed theories of logs and internal bets.

The reaction in social networks was immediate and furious. On platforms like Twitter (now X) and Reddit, fans shared repetitions in slow motion, with comments such as “that was not a fall, it was a voluntary jump” or “money spoke before the horse.” A thread in R/HORSERACING accumulated hundreds of responses, questioning the integrity of Irish races, especially in the jump of obstacles, where historical cases of riders involved in fraud were cited. The subsequent emission in Racing TV fueled the fire: presenter Matt Chapman and the analysts Mick Fitzgerald and Megan Nicholls discussed the live incident. Fitzgerald, winner of the Grand National, defended Byrnes arguing that “the foot came out of the stirrup and the balance was lost to the other side,” attributing it to a common technical error in high jumps. But it was Nicholls, daughter of the legendary coach Paul Nicholls and known for his occasional openness despite his nickname “Shy” – a wink to his shyness in the media – who stole the prominence.

In a time of television that went viral, Nicholls stared at the camera and said: “Mick, you have to admit it: when you see it, it seems that it is going down before the horse takes off. Look at its knee, it is already out; it is pushing to the left side. It seems to try to get off.” When Fitzgerald pressed it – “then are you saying that he got out of purpose?” – Nicholls did not hesitate: “I think it seems. It is as if he were preparing to jump before the obstacle.” His words, pronounced with a mixture of disbelief and conviction, were applauded by figures such as the professional betting Harry Findlay, who tweeted: “Well by Megan Nicholls in ITV, the only one that says it as it is.” Others called her “brave” for breaking the code of silence between riders, although some accused her of being “spineless” –cobarde– for speculating without evidence. Nicholls, who has won more than 100 races like a rider and now shines as an analyst at ITV, defended his position in a later interview: “Do not accuse anyone, I just comment what my eyes see. Integrity is the first thing in this sport.”

Meanwhile, Charles Byrnes, a coach with victories in Cheltenham and Royal Ascot, maintained a deafening silence for days, allowing the media storm to grow. It was in an interview with The Irish Times on May 31 when he broke his mutism, passionately defending his son. “It is obvious what happened,” he said. “Philip tried that the mare approached the obstacle to jumping clean, because the race was won. But she got up from her hands and catapulted him out of the chair. No one hurts more than Philip for this.” Byrnes Senior emphasized that his son had suffered similar falls in final fences, which led him to be cautious. “We are open to any investigation; we have nothing to hide,” he added, implicitly criticizing the “speculators” who question their reputation. However, his speech arrived at an inconvenient moment: the day after the race, Redwood Queen was claimed by coach Cian Collins for 6,000 euros, passing to new hands just when the IHRB announced its revision. This quick sale, seen by many as an attempt to “clean” the stable, has intensified suspicions. Why detach yourself from a winning mare in the middle of a scandal? Collins, meanwhile, has avoided comments, focusing on preparing the mare for future exits.

Philip Byrnes, 28, has tried to bury the storm returning to action. On May 31, he set up Sonnyboyliston – another horse from his father, former EBOR man – for a victory in readywel to 4/6, his first from the incident. “It was a relief, but Wexford’s weight is still there,” admitted a close friend. The IHRB, under pressure, has promised a quick resolution, possibly in June, analyzing not only the images but also transactions in betting bags like Betfair, where Beacon Edge fell to 1.35 before the fall. This case evokes shadows of the past of the Byrnes, such as the mysterious retreat of Karloss in Downpatrick in 2023, which led to another investigation for suspicious bets.

Nicholls’s opinion has polarized the equestrian world. For some, it is a breath of fresh air in a sport plagued by omertà; For others, a low blow without base. Charles Byrnes, in his defense, recalled his legacy: “I train to win, not to lose.” While the review progresses, a question persists: was it a human error or something darker? In the races, where trust is fragile, this scandal could take to dissipate, reminding us that behind each gallop there are bets that go beyond money.