False start chaos at Windsor Races sees five jockeys banned

Pictured are Gamrai, ridden by Oisin Murphy, at Windsor on Monday. Pictures by Helen Edwards.

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Five jockeys were banned for 10 days following a dramatic race at Windsor on Monday.

There was mayhem at the start of the Apprentice Handicap Stakes with Stall 2 failing to open properly and Master Zack rearing up under Ryan Kavanagh.

The starter waved his flag for a false start, while the recall man, a short distance away in the middle of the track, also waved in addition to blowing his whistle.

But five of the seven jockeys continued to complete the five-furlong race, and were found guilty of failing to obey the recall flag.

There was no punishment for Kavanagh as he was unseated as the start was effected, and Conor Whiteley as he attempted to pull up Beaumadier.

Master Zack raced away, still wearing a hood, and crashed through three plastic rails, but he appeared unharmed.

John & Thady Gosden trained the first two home in the Free Digital Racecard Maiden Stakes but not in the order that many punters had expected.

Gamrai, ridden by Oisin Murphy, won at 13/8, beating the 8/11 favourite Earl Of Rochester, the mount of Robert Havlin, by one and a quarter lengths, the pair finishing well clear of the rest of the field in the 10-furlong contest.

Champions jockey Murphy has now ridden 19 winners at Windsor this season.

Two course records were broken last Thursday when Windsor hosted the fourth round of the Racing League.

The Tom Clover-trained Rocking Ends, ridden by Daniel Muscutt, scorched home in the opening five-furlong race in 56.91 seconds, beating the previous best time of 58.03.

In the fourth race over six furlongs, Paul Attwater's Brosay, the mount of Joanna Mason, clocked one minute 9.23 seconds, lowering the record from 1.9:54.

Windsor's next meeting is this Saturday (August 23), starting at 5.15pm and will feature the Weatherbys Digital Solutions August Stakes and the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes.

Lequinto, who won three times at Windsor in June, is entered for the Thames Alfa Romeo Slough Handicap, as is another course and distance winner, Amazonian Dream, who finished fourth in the Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap Final.