By Peter Moore at Windsor Monday 18th August 2025
Five apprentice jockeys were each banned for ten days for failing to obey the recall flag in the second race of the Mexican Fiesta Racenight at Windsor on Monday evening.
The Martin Dunne-trained Master Zack became unruly in the stalls before the 5f apprentice handicap and reared up. At the same time, the gates in front of Beaumadier in stall two failed to open correctly, triggering the false start protocol.
Beaumadier was subsequently left trailing far behind the others, while two stalls down Master Zack emerged still blindfolded, then ran loose and crashed through three separate rails. He was reported to be unscathed afterwards.
Both the starter and an official on the track waved their flags to signal the false start, which appeared to go unnoticed by the majority of the jockeys as the other six runners went on to complete the course.
Following a stewards’ inquiry, it was found the false start was ignored by Jack Dace, Taryn Langley, Jack Doughty, Alec Voikhansky and Tommie Jakes and they all received ten-day bans.
The two jockeys not banned were Ryan Kavanagh, who was due to ride Master Zack but was unseated in the stalls, and Conor Whiteley, who was visibly trying to pull up Beaumadier after his late start.
Richard Westropp, the chief stipendiary steward, said on Sky Sports Racing: “What happened was the door on stall two [Beaumadier] flapped back as the start was activated, so on the basis of that the starter called a false start. His flag was raised as it should be. The recall man, stood right in the middle of the track, waved his flag and blew his whistle. The procedures were followed to a T.
Elswhere on an eventful night, claimer Charlie Tucker rode his first ever winner after only eight rides when he steered Vape to victory in the finale on the night for John & Rhys Flint.
Amazingly, just twenty four hours later the same partnership was celebrating in the winners enclosure after the eight-year-old took the 6f at Chepstow’s evening meeting.
On the day that champion jockey Oisin Murphy was named as the new retainer for Mr Imad Al Sagar, replacing Hollie Doyle, Murphy celebrated just riding only for the second time in Britian for Alsagar by doing enough on Gamrai to take the honors in the 1m 2f maiden stakes.
Naasma, a previous C&D winner back in June completed another success at Windsor by holding off the challenge of Pergola by half a length for Epsom trainer Pat Phelan with Paddy Bradley in the plate.
Having found the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot too hot to handle, the drop-in class paid off for the Amo Racing owned Sovereign Spell who just got up on the line under strong driving from David Egan to take the 5f novice stakes.
A drop in trip back to the minimum distance for Lil Brother saw the two-year-old bring up his second win of the campaign after hanging on to beat Angel Numbers in the 5f nursery handicap.
Hector Crouch made it 99 winners for the year after steering the Clive Cox trained Diligently to victory in the six furlong handicap.
Crouch didnt have to wait too long before bringing up his century after Evie Ross won at Chepstow on Tuesday afternoon.