Jockeys banned after void race drama
Three riders get 10 days for ignoring stop flag Crystal Ocean favourite in field of 13 for St Leger
There was drama at Perth yesterday when the novice handicap chase was declared void and three jockeys, Sean Quinlan, Derek Fox and Stephen Mulqueen, were banned for 10 days after ignoring the yellow ‘stop-race’ flag.
The confusion seemed to be caused because the race was allowed to continue past a first-fence faller, Johnny Go, who was being treated behind green screens for an injury that subsequently proved fatal, on the second circuit.
However, by the time they came round for the third and last circuit, two yellow flags, denoting a stopped race, had been deployed before the final fence while another was waved vigorously in front of the three jockeys after the last.
Their argument at the subsequent stewards’ inquiry that there was “plenty of room” looked a bit flimsy as one of them had been unseated when his horse spooked at the screens.
“I stopped the race for the safety of the personnel behind the screens,” said clerk of the course Harriet Graham.
There had only been four left in the contest at the time and only Will Kennedy did as instructed by the flags and pulled up.
Crystal Ocean, Sir Michael Stoute’s impressive Gordon Stakes winner, is 3-1 favourite with the sponsor to win the William Hill St Leger, the last domestic Classic of the season, at Doncaster on Saturday after the colt was one of 13 horses left in the race.
Apart from his Goodwood Cup winner Stradivarius – who is an 11-2 chance – John Gosden, who has won the race four times, also has the filly Coronet in it.