RUBY Walsh’s tactics came in for a bit of discussion over the Punchestown week. No, not those that saw him lose out in photo finishes in the three Grade 1s on Un De Sceaux, Djakadam and Nichols Canyon. There seemed little he could do to change the results on those three horses.

Matt Chapman among others put the Penhill ride under scrutiny and maybe that was one he would have ridden differently given another go.

But those aside, it was the pre-race tactics on Melon in lining up ahead of Labaik and taking a turn before the start in the novices hurdle on the first day that some felt was clever gamesmanship or perhaps unsporting.

Now, if we were talking in GAA or soccer terms, there would be little to comment on - jostling an opponent in the tunnel or in pre-match parades are par for the course. Ruby chose to exploit Labaik’s weakness, so be it.

We have on occasion seen other jockeys help out a reluctant starter by giving them a lead in but none of the other horses were inconvenience by taking a turn, this was a Grade 1 with a lot at stake. Labaik was the villain here not Walsh.