It was at Windsor on May 2 when ‘the elephant in the room’ stomped Callan’s way. The rider was in the paddock, wearing the bright orange silks of Jastar, a colour scheme matched by the owner’s suit. Broadcaster Matt Chapman interrupted with his microphone and live-feed camera, and a comment about the orange theme.
Callan shot back with a reference to Chapman’s trademark perma-tan hue. It prompted Chapman to retort along the lines that Callan’s chippy manners to the stewards must be why he was kicked out of Hong Kong. On the face of it, it was tit-for-tat stuff.
“It was unprofessional of him,” Callan says. “But if he can just pop out on live TV and come out with something as immature and childish as that, well, that doesn’t bother me at all. I know the truth of what happened in Hong Kong and I am very comfortable with myself on how I handled the situation.”