JOCKEY Alex Voikhansky will miss out on a month’s pay after getting stung with a big ban for throwing away victory on a horse that ‘would have won’.
The Flat rider looked to be cruising to the line on 11-4 Power Of Twins – owned by Leicester City owners King Power – in a 5½f handicap at Bath last Friday night.
But, mistakenly believing nothing was going to catch him, 3lb claimer Voikhansky eased down with the winning post approaching.
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Jockeys can often coast home if they think a race is sewn up.
They do this because the smaller the winning margin the less a horse is likely to be walloped by the handicapper.
Unfortunately for Voikhansky, it was only when he spotted Nicola Currie flying home on 2-1 fav Lovestruck Romeo that he got going again.
But the damage had been done and the horse could not pick up again in that time, finishing second by a neck and costing connections £2,500.
The incredible blunder has landed Voikhansky, who was riding for Richard Hannon, a hefty 28-day ban, which will kick in on August 17.
The stewards’ report said: “Alec Voikhansky, the rider of Power Of Twins, placed second, beaten by one length after he failed to ride out to the winning post.
“After being interviewed and shown recordings of the incident, Voikhansky was suspended for 28 days for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures on a horse which would have finished first.”
Some punters were sympathetic to what they called an ‘honest mistake’ from Voikhansky.
But others said a jockey should always be expected to ride to the line.
One viewer wrote on X: “This really is the cardinal sin for a jockey. Riding out to the line is just a basic expectation of any jockey.”
While another said: “It seems every season at least one apprentice makes an error like this.
“Who is telling them to ease up and not ride a proper finish for the sake of looking cool?”
This is the second time in as many months a jockey has been banned for not riding out to the line.
Connor Planas looked for all intents and purposes like he was home and hosed on the Hugo Palmer-trained Supaspecialawesome at Wolverhampton.
Believing he had won, he eased his horse down in an attempt to win stylishly.
The problem was Planas had failed to spot the fast-finishing 6-4 favourite Atlantic Gamble on his outside – see how it unfolded here.
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