THE televising of a stewards’ inquiries in Britain in recent years has given those of us watching racing on TV at home a bit more entertainment.

We had the drama at the end of the St Leger in 2015 with Colm O’Donoghue seeming to get the better of Andrea Atzeni in the stewards’ room if not the race itself.

He got the race on the day. That inquiry could have gone either way, though the one after the Coral-Eclipse on Saturday always looked as though it would have a ‘no alteration’ outcome.

We had an entertaining encounter broadcast at Goodwood a year or so ago when Ryan Moore poked fun and suggested Oisin Murphy wasn’t strong enough to keep his mount straight as the Irishman was giving evidence after a wayward final furlong.

Saturday’s inquiry let us see both jockeys making their cases, exaggerating in the case of O’Brien and protesting innocence in the case of Murphy.

Oisin Murphy and Donnacha O'Brien (right) give evidence after the Coral- Eclipse at Sandown

But it was all as expected. It’s like VAR officials calling over the two players involved in a penalty incident, nothing can be gained by it. One is going to say yes, I was fouled, I would have scored. The other, I never touched him, sir.

Now for those at home it was quite entertaining, (Simon Clare was wrong there, the TV audience enjoyed it). For those at the track awaiting the presentation, or to pay out on the winner, it was less so. And the impending World Cup kick-off probably added a bit more need for haste to the afternoon.

When the amount of time taken to come to the ‘no alteration’ outcome is put alongside the likelihood that that was going to be the outcome, you can see the argument for not listening to the jockeys’ comments, for adopting the American method of a brief word with the jockey by telephone and the stewards then decide quickly, even before the winner has been unsaddled, based on the evidence of the different cameras angles. None of the Mr Murphy did, Mr O’Brien didn’t nonsense.

No one should really expect jockeys to be totally truthful when asked to give their account of what happened.

Only in the event of a horse swerving unexpectedly or something out of the ordinary (Paul Townend at Punchestown) should the jockey’s account of what happened be recorded.

Stewards are the independent eye and have the means to come to conclusions all by themselves and it would ultimately be better that way.

Nothing new about six-day success

Many hailed the feat of the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly Athena in winning the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks, six days after racing at the Curragh and travelling across the Atlantic, as 'ground breaking', with some people referring to it as ‘revolutionary’, after Saxon Warrior had also performed well in the Eclipse of a quick Group 1 turnaround.

Athena and jockey Ryan Moore win the Belmont Oaks Invitational (Grade I) at Belmont Park Photo Jessie Holmes/Equisport

But running back within a week in a Group 1 is not such a new tactic by Ballydoyle, there were many other examples in recent years.

Peeping Fawn went from her maiden win to being placed in the Irish Guineas and Oaks at Epsom all in a 16 day period in 2007. The filly Together also performed a similar feat when she went to Keeneland in 2011 for a Grade 1, finished second on the Sunday, stayed in the states and won a Grade 1 on the following Saturday.

It is nothing new to see horses turn out twice or three times at Galway or big festival meetings. Back in the day, it was unusual if horses like Meade stalwarts like Pinch Hitter and Steel Duke didn’t run more than once. Athy Spirit and Try A Brandy took the Monday night's GPT amateur race before scoring in Thursday's Guinness Hurdle. Many more in recent years run again on the final Sunday.

Those with long memories will remember famous sprinting two-year-olds in Britain like Spindrifter and Provideo who often ran twice in a week.

There are countless example of horses returning to the track at the big flat meetings in a short space of time, Simenon’s two wins at Ascot in 2012 being one.

Stanerra’s feat of winning the Princess’s of Wales Stakes and the Hardwicke Stakes must stand out on its own.

Over obstacles, Mysilv ran twice in Grade 1s at the Cheltenham Festival in 1996. Horses like Don Mobile, Portant Fella, to name but two, won over hurdles, fences and on the flat in Ireland in the one week.

Classic fillies or middle distance horses should not be any different. While Athena’s win was a bit of good placing, and the travel added a new element, many others have matched it and to call it revolutionary may be going too far.

Benny blunder?

While on the subject of stewards inquiries, some of the decisions made by stewards in this country confound belief.

It’s hard to believe that the same rulebook was used when inquiring into the running and riding of Eddie Cawley’s Fruits Of Glory previously and Liam Cusack’s Snugsborough Benny on Sunday.

With Galway approaching more diligence will be needed. Or get the cameras in!