After going so close to landing the Top Jockey title at last week’s superb Royal Ascot fixture there is to be no repeat attempt by leading rider Richard Hughes on the equivalent honour at Newmarket’s July meeting after he picked up a seven-day ban whilst riding at Windsor on Monday evening that rules him out of any participation at the forthcoming festival fixture, writes Elliot Slater.
Hughes, who was looking forward to a number of choice rides at the three-day meeting which begins on July 7, was found guilty of careless riding having originally faced a charge of dangerous riding, a charge from which he was exonerated. The Windsor stewards did however find him to have fallen foul of the rules on the lesser charge and having a tariff of between five and nine days at their disposal opted for a middle penalty of seven covering July 5-9, 11 & 12. Those looking at the Newmarket odds should take his absence into account.
Hughes had been aboard the 15/8f Puttingonthestyle in the Fee Group Plc Maiden Stakes and was still in the lead on the Richard Hannon-trained three-year-old when he allowed his mount to hang left causing the Michael Hills-ridden Mrs Dee Bee (trained by Barry Hills) to clip heels and fall, in the process badly hampering Numeral (trained by Richard Hannon), who consequently unseated Jimmy Fortune.
Fortunately it appears that all horses and riders involved in the melee escaped without any major injuries but understandably the stewards took a dim view of Hughes’ riding and served the suspension with little hesitation. Amongst the rides Hannon’s stable jockey will miss at Newmarket will be the mount on the rejuvenated Monsieur Chevalier, a superb runner-up in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes, and who is confirmed an intended runner in the Group 1 Darley July Cup on the final day of the fixture.