CALLUM SHEPHERD has been whacked with an 18-day ban for winning a race in a dead-heat – as he shared a photo suggesting he won outright.
Shepherd will miss a load of big races including the St Leger after he was deemed to have eased up on his mount in the closing stages at Kempton.
The jockey hugged the rail on David Simcock’s 6-1 Thorntonledale Max in a 7f handicap but got collared late on by 100-30 fav Flavour Maker.
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The stewards’ report read: “Callum Shepherd, the rider of Thorntonledale Max, which dead-heated for first, had failed to ride out to the winning post.
“After being interviewed and shown recordings of the incident, Shepherd was suspended for 18 days for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures on a horse which would have finished out-right first.”
However, the matter was complicated by Shepherd later sharing a photo of the finish which appeared to show he had won.
The nose of Thorntonledale Max can be seen, it appears, ahead of the nose of Flavour Maker.
Punters were quick to back Shepherd to appeal the result – especially as it came hot on the heels of James Doyle avoiding a ban at Windsor earlier this week.
The Wathnan jockey looked to be in command on 5-6 favourite No Retreat in a 1m2f maiden at Windsor on Monday night.
But, according to the official stewards’ report, he ‘appeared to stop riding’ when yards from the finish, allowing Hollie Doyle to win in dramatic circumstances on Brave Call.
The matter was further complicated by James’s horse, a three-year-old colt, lugging his head left, losing the race in a photo.
Footage of the incident lit up social media with loads of punters slating James for what they thought was a lousy effort in the crucial final few strides.
The flashpoint also came hot on the heels of apprentice jockey Alec Voikhansky getting hit with a 28-day ban for throwing away victory in a similar fashion.
Doyle was accused by punters of ‘getting away with murder’ – while another labelled the finish ‘laughable’.
In fairness the jockey fronted up to Matt Chapman afterwards and, in extraordinary scenes, said sorry to those who saw their money go up in flames.
He said: “I do 100 per cent feel for the punters that will have backed my horse and the connections of him too, but we are dealing with horses.
“They’re live animals and have a mind of their own.
“He’d only run once before and quickened up smartly to go and win his race.
“He did lug into Hollie’s horse, which is when I put my stick down, and then after that he gets a wobble on and spots the winning line.
“He goes right to try and avoid stepping on it, and then started to go left hand down and I was mindful of the turn.
“It’s like he got spooked by the winning line. I’m not vigorous up to the line as I’m trying to stay on the horse – I’m trying to keep the partnership intact as best as I can.
“You can see right on the winning line he judders to a halt. That’s what got us beat tonight.
“When you’ve got a wayward horse underneath you it’s virtually impossible to be in full drive as you’re mindful of coming off.
“These happened in the most crucial strides of the race and people say I should be suspended, but horses aren’t machines.”
The stewards’ report read: “James Doyle, the rider of No Retreat, placed second, had appeared to stop riding shortly before the winning post.
“After being interviewed and shown recordings of the incident, Doyle’s explanation that No Retreat jinked in the final strides on the run to the line, causing both itself and Doyle to become unbalanced, requiring him to get a hold of the horse’s head, was noted.”
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