Whip Ban Kicks In...and it hurts!

Connections of Orthodox Lad have leapt to the defence of jockey Kieren Fox after he was suspended for 15 days under the new whip rules at Salisbury on Monday.

Fox, who claims 3lb, was adjudged to have hit Orthodox Lad 11 times - seven times in the final furlong - when winning the Bathwick Tyres Salisbury Handicap by a short head. He lost his percentage of the prize-money and also forfeited his riding fee.

"We love our horses and don't want to hurt them in any way. Kieren gets on well with the horse and we know he is an out-and-out galloper. He doesn't have many gears and needs a bit of help," said Steve Nunn, spokesman for Orthodox Lad's owners, SN Racing II.

"I spoke to the guys after the race and they said he (Orthodox Lad) was bouncing. I feel for Kieren. He is not an aggressive rider. He would accept he would get banned, but this is too harsh.

"What it comes to is that there is a chance the horse might not have won, and that affects little men like me. I thought it was a great ride. That horse now has one win under our belt. From a breeding point of view, that makes a big difference to us," Nunn, who also bred Orthodox Lad, told At The Races.


Richard Hughes received a five-day suspension in the same race as Fox when Swift Blade finished third, having been found guilty of hitting his mount six times inside the last furlong.

He said: "I am embarrassed by what I did, but I hit my horse for a correction matter, not for a slap to go faster. I corrected my horse when I made contact.

"We've been trying to get used to it, but if you're in a tight finish over a mile and a half and someone gives their horse seven (hits) and you give them two or three, they will have an advantage. It proved it with the guy (Fox) hitting it 11. If someone breaks the rules they have an advantage on you."

Hughes also hit out at the British Horseracing Authority's decision to impose the new sanctions in the build-up to Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday.

Speaking at Leicester, Hughes told At The Races: "I think the timing is deplorable. Frankie (Dettori) has been on national TV about the Qipco day but instead he's talking about the whip. They've planned it to be the biggest raceday of all time and instead they are talking about the whip. It's a shame."

"Twenty five years of trying and I've finally broken the hoodoo"...Dettori WINS Betfred Cesarewitch

Frankie Dettori produced a magnificent piece of front-running riding from the worst of the draw to win the Betfred Cesarewitch at Newmarket aboard Never Can Tell.

The former champion jockey was winning the prestigious race for the first time and was providing trainer Jamie Osborne with one of the biggest wins of his training career.

Drawn widest of all in stall 36, Dettori raced on his own down the centre of the track for most of the race. Colour Vision was the main challenger inside the final furlong but eventually was caught by Ermyn Lodge for second, a length and a half adrift of the winner.

Dettori said: "Twenty five years of trying and I've finally broken the hoodoo! She's a front-runner, but to cut the corner was an advantage. Full credit to Jamie, she's really tried for me."


Osborne added: "With her style of running, it probably wasn't as bad a draw as everyone thought.

"Frankie said to me 'do me a favour, don't give me any instructions'. She likes to bowl along in front so it was always going to be a pretty straightforward plan really. I just said go out and give me the ride of the season and he has.

"She's not very pretty or very big, she just tries. It's lovely to be part of today."

Silvestre de Sousa 1,983-1 Four-Timer

Silvestre de Sousa lit up a damp, grey final meeting at York with a 1,983-1 four-timer on Oceanway, Bannock, Orsippus and Licence To Till.

The Brazilian is in the middle of a three-way battle to be crowned champion jockey but he feels he cannot catch Paul Hanagan and Kieren Fallon, especially as he has a riding ban to serve, but he nevertheless took his tally to 137 for the year.

Three of his winners were for trainer Mark Johnston, while Orsippus was for Michael Smith.


Bannock (5-2 favourite) bounced back to form in the coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes after disappointing in the Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy last Saturday. He put that effort behind him to capture this Listed race in good style by two lengths from Miss Lahar.

"He had a problem in the middle of the season. Bobby Elliott was trotting him and his rein broke and the horse hit a wall and cut his leg," said Johnston's wife and assistant Deirdre.

"We just ran out of time to put the finishing touches to him for Redcar. We weren't sure he was 100% then or not, but that brought him on for today. As he's had a big holiday mid-season, I'd like to see him run again this year. He's fit and well now."

Grade One-winning hurdler Orsippus (20-1) warmed up for another winter campaign by outstaying his rivals in the coral.co.uk Green Tick Win More Every Race Stakes, beating Valid Reason by two and a quarter lengths.

Northumberland-based Smith said: "He's been in the field for two months but I've brought him in every night. He's too precious to leave out. I gave him a holiday after he ran flat at Newcastle. He'll go to Ascot in mid-November (for the Coral Hurdle) and then the Relkeel at Cheltenham."


Oceanway (7-2) battled on bravely to take the Green Tick For Better Odds At coral.co.uk Handicap by three-quarters of a length from Weapon Of Choice and Licence To Till (5-1) completed the fantastic foursome by holding Jo'burg by a head in the Coldstream Guards Association Cup.

Mrs Johnston added: "What a day, and Colour Vision (third) ran a great race in the Cesarewitch. I thought we were beat there. What an honest horse."

Dewhurst Review

Jim Bolger returned to Newmarket to collect his fourth Dubai Dewhurst Stakes in six years with a colt he appears to view as on a par with his previous champions New Approach and Teofilo.

Parish Hall's previous form and starting price of 20-1 would have suggested he was more of the calibre of the trainer's other Dewhurst winner Intense Focus, a battle-hardened two-year-old who did little at three.

New Approach won the Derby and the Champion Stakes, while the brilliant Teofilo - sire of Parish Hall - was robbed of his chance to prove himself by injury.


The juvenile won in the manner of so many of the physically and mentally robust members of Bolger's stable, claiming the lead on the rail when the weakening Spiritual Star let him past with two furlongs remaining and tigerishly defending his position.

Aidan O'Brien's Power, the 15-8 favourite after his success in the National Stakes, took an age to hit his stride but flashed home late to finish just half a length behind.

Bolger said: "The ground is the key to him. He needs good ground or faster. He's been improving all along but he's run into soft ground a couple of times and he can't handle that."

Comparing Parish Hall with the other Dewhurst winners, he said: "He's right up there with the previous three. Intense Focus has the record, time-wise, and he's right there with the others. There's no doubt he's in that league, he's very good.

"I think this fellow's chance of staying a mile and a half is as least as good as New Approach's. I wouldn't be sure he'd come back here for the Guineas, but I certainly think of him as a horse for Epsom and the Irish Derby."

Jockey Kevin Manning added: "It has been a very lucky race for us. If you looked back at his form, he was only just behind Power, who was one of the favourites. They went a nice even gallop, not overly fast, and when he hit the rising ground, he kept on again. I think seven furlongs is a minimum for him."


O'Brien said of Power: "He ran a stormer. We were delighted and he finished up the hill very well. We'll look forward to next year."

Jockey News For Saturday's Betfred Cesarewitch At Newmarket

Richard Hughes will take over the reins on leading fancy Keys in Saturday's Betfred Cesarewitch at Newmarket.

Jamie Spencer guided the four-year-old to July victories at Newbury and Ascot, but he is due to ride Dance And Dance in America on the same day and so is unavailable.

Trainer Roger Charlton confirmed Hughes' appointment via Twitter.

Keys' participation had been in some doubt over the weekend following a dirty scope, but Charlton issued an upbeat bulletin on his condition on Monday.


David Pipe also used the social networking site to reveal jockey plans for his three contenders, with William Buick booked for Beyond, Joseph O'Brien taking the mount of Tasheba and apprentice Kieran O'Neill called up for Big Occasion.

Pipe's father Martin saddled Heros Fatal (2000) and Miss Fara (2002) to win the famous staying handicap in recent years.

Leicester Review

Wins from Jack's Revenge and Franciscan at Leicester saw Kieren Fallon erode Paul Hanagan's lead in the jockeys' championship to seven.

Fallon has spoken in recent days about his enjoyment of the competition with Hanagan and Silvestre De Sousa as he rides in as many races as possible, from Group Ones to selling plates.

He kicked off by forcing George Baker's 8-13 favourite Jack's Revenge home in the Stoat Selling Stakes, and also had to keep the Luca Cumani-trained Franciscan (11-4) up to his task to close out the Quorn Handicap.


Just three faced the starter for the feature race of the day, the Squirrel Conditions Stakes, and Richard Hannon's Rougement regained winning ways after his failure in a Listed race at Newbury landed by John Gosden's Dewhurst contender Fencing.

Rougement (13-8) made all the running to win by a head - but even-money favourite Repeater was closing all the time after being switched for a run, and could have been in front in another few yards.


Winning jockey Richard Hughes said: "He started well at Newmarket, although he was maybe flattered a bit by that. But at Newbury he was very flat, he went down to the start off the bridle, and I think that was a bit more like him. He's still very weak but still progressive."

Mark Johnston's strapping Abishena overcame evident inexperience in the British Stallion Studs Supporting British Racing EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

The 16-1 shot's chance looked to have gone at halfway when she stumbled slightly and needed Franny Norton's guile to get her back on track. Newcomer Fulney very nearly caused a 100-1 upset, but Abishena forged down the stands rail to put her nose in front on the line.

Johnston's representative Jock Bennett said: "She came to us quite late from Darley, but her last two pieces of work had been encouraging. Franny reckoned she would come on a lot for that and winning today is a bonus. Our two-year-olds have let us down a bit, so that was nice to see."


There was an even more impressive winner of the Dormouse Maiden Stakes for three-year-olds when Charlie Hills' Upcountry (4-9 favourite) had four lengths in hand despite drifting right across the track.

Cheltenham Switch?

Cheltenham managing director Edward Gillespie admits the idea of switching the Festival meeting to a weekend remains on the table.

The March showpiece fixture currently runs from Tuesday to Friday but Gillespie believes the meeting could be moved after the course has been redeveloped.

He outlined plans for improvements at the track at a press conference marking the run-up to Cheltenham's 2011/12 season, which gets under way on Saturday week.

"Our plans going forward include the potential redevelopment here," said Gillespie.


"Since May we have commissioned a team of designers to come up with what we call a feasibility study and the report is in next week. I have been putting together with our team the business case for this. These will go to our board before the end of this year.

"So early next year we hope to give you good news of when we might be progressing these plans, which will enable the racegoers to have better vantage points from redeveloping the oldest grandstands at Cheltenham.

"We think we have a plan which will be appropriate for the next generation.

"We are looking forward to having the redevelopment completed within the next three to five years. Along with that, we will be able to talk about the possibility of the Festival moving to a weekend."


Gillespie also confirmed prize money for the Grade One events at the Festival will be on a par with last season, with all races due to meet their minimum requirements.

He added: "Our investment in prize money is something we are focusing on coming into this season. Our executive and sponsorship contribution this year will amount to £3.35 million. Sponsorship stands at a record £3.1 million."