MY first and overriding reaction to a video clip of Davy Russell punching a horse at Tramore over the weekend was one of disappointment.

Disappointing because you knew what was coming - online outrage.

Like the majority I saw the clip through Twitter, the social media website which - rightly or wrongly - is the magnifying glass through which racing, sport and just about everything else is measured these days.

It didn’t look great. And although I’d weigh in with the lower percentage of opinion that Russell’s strike at Kings Dolly probably did very little to hurt the horse, that’s not the problem. The problem is the perception of people from racing or non-racing backgrounds and casual or avid followers of the sport, watching on.

Perception - an irritating word that just keeps cropping up. One side says; Why do we constantly have to worry about what people who don’t even like, watch or go racing think about our sport when it flashes up on their newsfeed? Why are they elected as the jury that call the shots as to the direction racing is going?

But of course, racing has to be mindful and protect its future. There are people out there who would have the sport banned outright. It's not an outrageous suggestion that their wish could become a reality 50 or 100 years down the line.

Of course it’s wrong to punch a horse. Did Russell cause the mare much pain? Probably not. Did he cause the perception of racing pain? Probably quite a lot. And there is the main issue. Russell should have known better, as a senior and well-known jockey. Those at the top end of the sport have a responsibility.

POPULARITY

There is also the sense of disappointment when you take in Russell’s ever increasing popularity over the last couple of years. He is a very likeable figure who tells it as it is and is someone to whom the racing world has become endeared.

Not just the racing world either. At Galway, most casual punters I spoke to were drawn to Davy Russell-ridden horses. Balko Des Flos' win in the Galway Plate was a hugely popular one and, even in the driving rain, there was a huge crowd present to welcome Russell into the winner’s enclosure.

Russell pictured with a young racing fan in the winner's enclosure after he rode Balko Des Flos to win the Galway Plate

Russell won over a lot of people for the way he conducted himself after losing the job as number one jockey for Gigginstown but, more significantly, the Corkman’s popularity has increased because of his engagement with racing people.

He annually attends an exhausting amount of Cheltenham preview nights up and down the country and usually is the best value panelist, happy to joke and banter with the crowd.

Even in recent weeks, his star has continued to rise - through an insightful At The Races documentary with Mick Fitzgerald and with his significant role in Hurling For Cancer.

So it’s sad and disconcerting to see someone doing as well as he has done to then make a mistake and come under serious scrutiny. Some of the trolling he has already received on social media is grim though one suspects Russell has skin thick enough to deflect such jibes.

But still, it’s not nice to see - Russell tweeted this morning to thank people for the money raised by Hurling For Cancer and was replied to with abuse.

Aside from the abuse, many people will have viewed Russell’s other tweet since the incident - one which alluded that he was delighted to be the top jockey for Tramore’s festival - as a signal that the rider was treating the incident with very little dues.

His comments in the Irish Daily Star this morning confirmed this stance; he is happy to speak to the Turf Club but “I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.”

That may be the case but the bigger picture is racing and its perception. Because of this incident, ammunition is supplied to those with a vendetta against racing and organisations within the sport are forced on to the defensive. So in that regard, it is a little disappointing to see no apology.

Russell mentioned that he couldn’t go into the specifics because the Turf Club are now looking into the incident. Given Shane Foley got a seven-day suspension (reduced to five days on appeal) recently for hitting a horse with his whip before going into the stalls, you’d imagine a suspension for Russell is a near certainty.

Never one to hold back, you’re likely to hear Russell’s true reflections then and you’d hope, with the dust settled, when he makes his assessment he’d have the sport of racing as a whole in mind.