A JOCKEY has been stripped of her first ever winner and banned after a rules breach punters labelled ‘shocking’.
Amateur rider Poppy Wynne was on cloud nine after she steered 15-2 Swift Tuttle to victory at a rainy Doncaster last Thursday.
It looked like 7lb claimer Wynne would coast home easily on the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero-trained five-year-old, who’s owned by her dad Steve.
THE best bet for savvy punters.
Sign up now for just £1* to be part of racing’s best winner’s enclosure and get…
Become a member today for just £1*
*For the first month then £3 per month thereafter.
18+ Ts and Cs apply. First month membership £1, then £3 per month unless you cancel at least 7 days before your next billing date. For more information contact help@thesun.co.uk
But she almost got collared in the final stride by rival Matt Brown on the fast-finishing Can Can Girl.
However the runner-up has now been promoted to winner after Wynne’s ride was examined by the whip rules committee.
Amazingly, she was found to have struck Swift Tuttle EIGHT times over the limit and not giving her mount enough time to respond in the final two-and-a-half furlongs of the 1m6f race.
Since the whip rules were changed, jockeys on the Flat have a strict limit of six strikes.
Wynne was disqualified and banned for a total of 24 days plus given an additional two days in which she must receive ‘specialised coaching’.
Some punters were left in disbelief as to how she could have gone so many times over the limit.
One said: “Eight over is farcical. What is she even doing?”
However Greenall backed her to recover from the lapse.
He told the Racing Post: “It’s a long straight at Doncaster and inexperience probably caught her out.
“A lot of them were down the shoulder and were some of them [with the hand] on the rein or off the rein? She can barely remember.
“It’s very difficult to see when I watched it back because it’s bad weather.
“They’ve obviously taken it as her hand being off the rein which counts towards your total.
“She’ll get her days and she’s obviously lost the race.
“She’s going to have a day or two of training at Jack Berry House or one of the training centres so in the long run it will probably be good for her.
“As much as it’s disappointing for her, she’ll learn from it and she’s a smart girl.”
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
