'I don't blame him' - owner defends conditional jockey over Uttoxeter disqualification

The owner of a horse disqualified at Uttoxeter has defended conditional rider Bradley Roberts, who received a 14-day ban for taking the wrong course.

In a chaotic conclusion to the 2m5f handicap chase on Saturday evening, Roberts, who led on Harry The Norseman, kept his mount to the left and what the stewards deemed to be the incorrect side of the C marker which defines the chase course after the omitted third-last fence.

All fences in the home straight were bypassed due to the low sun, with further confusion added by the presence of the loose Harry Du Berlais, who had unseated Paul O’Brien at the first fence and kept to the left-hand side of the track.

Charlie Todd was also unshipped from Eightytwo Team when colliding with the island railings that separated the chase and hurdle tracks.

Harry The Norseman, who is trained by Charlie Longsdon, did rejoin the chase course before the omitted final fence and was first past the post. However, the seven-year-old was disqualified and Do It For Thy Sen, who finished 18 lengths behind, was awarded the race.

Bradley Roberts (right) went the wrong side of the rail on Harry The Norseman, who was disqualifiedCredit: Sky Sports Racing

"It's just one of those things," said owner Julian Nettlefold on Sunday. "Because the fences were cut off they were pushed to the left. Then there was that loose horse and Bradley had the sun in his eyes.

"I was just watching the replay again and it was a hell of a left-hand dog-leg. They shouldn't have kept that dog-leg there – it was too sharp a twist the speed he was going.

"The other jockey behind him actually ran into that bollard so they should have used the hurdle track as the run-in to the finish instead of using that kink. It was silly."

Asked if he would use Roberts' services again, Nettlefold said of the 23-year-old 7lb claimer: "Oh yeah. There's no way I'd say don’t come back just because of that. I was just saying to a friend of mine today you've had senior jockeys finish at the wrong winning post at Sandown.

"As I said to Bradley last night, I don't blame him, it's just one of those things that happens. The fact remains he rode a brilliant race, he won by 18 lengths when it's only Harry's second time over fences."

Nettlefold bred Harry The Norseman with legendary trainer David Elsworth and he is a horse close to the Silverstone-based owner's heart.

"He's named after my late son, who was murdered, so it's been a very cathartic journey," he said. 

"I used to school horses for David and I rang him when Mum died as she left me a bit of money. He said, 'I've got this brilliant filly called Titled Lady, she's the fastest two-year-old I've ever trained'.

"She beat a future Group winner in her second race at Newmarket and then we went up to Doncaster. A week later she fractured her sesamoid on the gallops - I think she caught it in a rut at Doncaster. I'd always wanted to do breeding so David got the leg mended and he and I bred Harry. He got the Norse Dancer nomination and I provided the mare.

"I've actually ridden him, he's such a quiet, lovely ride. He's the pin-up of our local shop. I rode him down to our village last year and they all came out to give him carrots. He loves it."

A switch to the Flat and Bath's Summer Stayers' Series is likely for Harry The Norseman, whose most recent success came in a qualifier at that track last May when with trainer Louise Allan.

Nettlefold added: "Charlie is going to email the handicapper tomorrow. We hope to God he doesn't whack us up into the 90s. We're going to try to go for that two-mile Flat series."

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