I’ve nothing against Queally, my exposure to him is limited. I’m sure he’s a delightful chap, modest and eager to learn. Just haven’t been very impressed with what little I’ve seen of him in the top races, particularly on Frankel and perhaps moreso on the deposed Jacqueline Quest in last year’s Guineas, which was a panicky unbalanced culmination to a ride if ever there was one
I thought at the time, and still do, that Queally was trying to get Jacqueline Quest close to Special Duty because he thought she would battle for the win better. It is ironic that things didn’t go Queally’s way in the Queens Vase last week on Solar Sky. Silvestre de Sousa said after the race that he deliberately (and fairly) steered Namibian towards Solar Sky, with his whip in his right hand, because he thought that Namibian needed the company to encourage him to run on. The neck by which Namibian beat Solar Sky was a big enough margin to convince the stewards that moving Solar Sky off his line did not warrant a change in the placings. Hard Luck Tom lost out on both occasions.