The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Perth drama as jockeys hit by 10-day ban Racing: Riders ignored stop-race flag
Jockeys Sean Quinlan, Stephen Mulqueen and Grand National winner Derek Fox were banned for 10 days after they failed to pull up during a voided three-mile novice handicap chase at Perth yesterday.
Johnny Go had fallen at the first fence and ran loose before coming down on the run-in.
He was being treated while the race was being run and suffered a fatal injury.
Stop-race procedures were put into place by the racecourse executive while Johnny Go was being attended to behind screens near the finishing line, with the race subsequently declared void.
But Quinlan, rider of first-past-the-post Red Giant, Fox aboard Miss Joeking – the only other finisher – and Mulqueen, who was unseated from Here Comes Love after the final fence, appeared to ignore the stop-race flag waved to raise attention to the stricken horse and were hit with hefty suspensions.
Robin Mounsey, head of media for the British Horseracing Authority, said: “The rules of racing are clear that once the stoprace flag is deployed, the jockeys must stop riding and the race is void.
“The flag is used for safety reasons and jockeys are aware that they must stop riding immediately once they have seen the flag being waved, and that the stewards have no choice but to declare the race void.
“The decision to deploy the stop-race flag, and where to deploy the flag operator, is made by the clerk of the course.
“If any riders continue racing after they have seen the flag, the stewards will then hold an inquiry to determine whether any rules have been breached, and will consider evidence from the jockeys and clerk of the course.”
Brian Hughes, who had taken fallen from the illfated Johnny Go, had better luck in the feature race.
He partnered Hammersly Lake (6-1), who could be bound for the US after defying top weight in the Sodexo Prestige Values And Events Killiecrankie Handicap Chase.
Charlie Longsdon’s charge led two out and kept on strongly for Hughes to beat the staying-on Guitar Pete by four lengths.