SENIOR National Hunt rider Sean Flanagan has given the thumbs up to trials for new starting procedures without the use of a tape, and insists that Irish riders are not to blame for the recent false start controversy at the Cheltenham Festival.

The most active National Hunt rider in Ireland this season, Darragh O’Keeffe, has stressed the need for trust between jockeys and starters in order to make the beginning of any race a success.

As of last Saturday at Navan, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) has been trialling race starts without the traditional tape. Riders approach the starter at a distance of roughly 20 metres before getting underway by flag.

There has been plenty of debate surrounding what can be done to alleviate starting problems at the Cheltenham Festival this month. However, it’s understood that this IHRB trial had already long been under consideration before those high-profile cases.

Asked for his reaction to the trials, having ridden in four races with no tape at Navan and Limerick last weekend, Flanagan told The Irish Field: “I’m a big fan of it - I actually don’t find a whole pile of difference. For whatever reason, whenever there is a false start, I think that the tape can often be a factor in why there’s a second false start; whether it be that there’s not enough time to get the tape across, or the tape is in the way.

“I also think the tape can sometimes be a disadvantage to some horses in terms of their track position. A prime example of that is in a race like the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown. If we end up standing on the tape for a standing start, the rider on the wide outside might lose a second or two on the rider lined up on the inside by the time the tape is released and reaches all the way back across. I think it’s a good job to remove the tape.

“To be fair to the IHRB, they always seem to be proactive on this. We went to them a few years back with different suggestions and they’ve rejigged it with a combination of ideas.”

Need for trust

O’Keeffe added: “I think the big thing for all jockeys is that it’s essential we have trust with the starters. We need to be able to trust that when a starter says we’re coming in too fast, and says they won’t let us go, that they’ll stick to their word. When that doesn’t happen, it becomes harder for everyone.

“Both ourselves and the starters won’t get it right every time, but there needs to be trust. In terms of the tapeless starts, I think the real test for them will be when they’re used in bigger fields and more competitive races, like the Irish National.”

Some British riders have suggested that Irish riders adapting to British starts is a factor in the ongoing issues at Cheltenham, but Flanagan believes that is unfair.

“Nearly every start, or approach to a start, at Cheltenham is on a bend and I think that’s a negative,” he said.

“It feels like they are blatantly blaming the Irish riders, but the only time there seems to be a problem over there is when there are competitive fields with 25 runners. Those fields generally only happen when Irish horses are over there. We’re getting the finger pointed at us, but I don’t think it’s our fault at all.”