Alphonse Le Grande could lose his Newmarket win due to whip rules© Photo Healy Racing
After a marathon two and a quarter miles, just a nose separated the front two as Alphonse Le Grande held off Manxman to win the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket – but there looks set to be a sting in the tail for connections.
The five-year-old was completing a pretty unique treble, as having won the consolation races for the Chester Cup and the Northumberland Plate earlier in the season, this time he was taking the main event.
Since June, he has been in the care of Tony Martin’s sister, Cathy O’Leary, as Martin serves a suspension for breaking anti-doping rules – extended as he was present for the Newcastle win.
However, this success also looks set to have the gloss knocked off it, as unfortunately for winning apprentice jockey Jamie Powell, it appeared that he used his whip 10 times, four above the permitted level.
The matter has been referred to the British Horseracing Authority Whip Review Committee, which will meet on Tuesday and will result in the likely disqualification of the winner.
Despite a full field not lining up for the second leg of the autumn double, there was still plenty of drama.
At one point, they were in two distinct groups in the home straight before fanning out right across the track – and with two furlongs to run, Aqwaam appeared to hold all the aces.
He was on the far side of the track but then 33-1 shot Alphonse Le Grande broke through on the opposite side under Powell.
There was little between them close home and finally Manxman (7-1) appeared from in behind with a powerful run and he joined the Irish raider on the line, only to fail by the narrowest of margins.
“It was down to our jockey, it was a great ride from him and great of him to bring him over for a bit of better ground,” said O’Leary, speaking before it became apparent Powell had broken the whip rules.
“It’s a big buzz and he’s a little horse with a big heart, he’s class and he got a great ride.
“I think he might be going for a holiday after winning three big races, he deserves it. I’m sure he could keep climbing higher in the staying ranks.”
When asked about Martin’s impending return, O’Leary added: “Hopefully Tony gets his licence back next week. I haven’t heard from Tony (since the race).”
Powell was unaware of his breach and initially said: “I thought I was beat and I asked Sean (D Bowen on Manxman) pulling up and he thought he had won. It’s never great when you don’t know but when I saw my name on the screen, it was great.
“I’m delighted to win for Cathy and all the team at home and it was great it all worked out well.
“I have ridden over here last year over that sort of trip and track and it was unusual to see them split. I could see plenty of fancied horses in front of me and when I could see James Doyle (on The Shunter) and Ryan Moore (on Queenstown) near me, I was delighted.
“The horse took me everywhere, I was a passenger there today but he was tough at the finish and got his head in front.”
He added: “It’s a big deal to come over here and ride winners, especially big ones, and it’s been a bit of a quiet year. It’s nice to get one before the season ends and it will be a year to remember, anyway.
“It’s my first winner over here from six or seven rides and I did the Racing League this year as well. It was nice to get my first winner.
“I was late into it, my father Anthony Powell was a jump jockey and won the Irish National and my grandfather is a Classic-winning jockey in Ireland on the Flat, so I do have a racing background.
“But myself personally, I never rode racehorses till I was 16. It’s worked out since I’ve started and it seems to be going well anyway.”
Simon Crisford said of Manxman: “He was given a fantastic ride and it was a really brave and honest effort.
“I thought he had won and I was screaming and hadn’t really seen the horse down the stands’ side.
“He put all his heart into it and was 4lb well in and that gave us effectively four lengths. We all really fancied him today and he’s run like a really nice progressive stayer for next year.”
Explaining the process, chief steward Tony McGlone said: “From a stewarding point of view, we identify a possible breach of the rules, which in this case is four over as a possible breach.
“We then ask the jockey to make a comment after watching the film and then we send the film and comments off to the Whip Review Committee and they will make a decision on Tuesday.
“It’s not a decision the stewards make, we just identify a possible breach and we then send it on to the Committee to make their decision.
“That’s the process that will be followed in this case, and there was another jockey in the race who hit his horse eight times and same situation, we looked at it, asked is he over the six? The answer is yes, by two, and then we listen to his evidence and record it and send it off to the committee, who will look at it on Tuesday and make a decision.
“We identify, collect the information, then send it on to the Whip Review Committee to make the decision.”
A British Horseracing Authority spokesperson added: “We can confirm that the ride by Jamie Powell on Alphonse Le Grande has been referred to the Whip Review Committee.
“No breach of the rules has yet been found and the horse will not be disqualified unless the Whip Review Committee, which will meet on Tuesday, determines that the whip has been used four times or more above the permitted level, and, for example, that all uses of the whip made contact with the horse, and that none of the uses were clearly and unequivocally for safety purposes only.
“There have been several cases already since the new rules were implemented whereby a ride was referred and carried a potential disqualification but the Whip Review Committee did not reach this outcome.”
