Sandown to inspect at 7am on Friday before Flat season opener

Sandown will hold a precautionary inspection at 7am on Friday morning before its opening Flat fixture of the season. The ground is soft, heavy in places on the round course and soft on the sprint track.

With 6mm of rain having fallen between 4pm and 6pm on Thursday and with the possibility of further showers up until 10pm, Sandown officials will check conditions on the Flat track on Friday morning.

Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper tweeted that here had been "heavy rain at Sandown since 6pm and with volumes to come uncertain, I think it is sensible to take stock in the morning."

The seven-race meeting is headlined by the Group 2 bet365 Mile (3.00) and is also set to feature the seasonal return of 2021 Derby winner Adayar in the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (2.25), one of two Group 3s on the card along with the bet365 Classic Trial (3.30).

No inspection has been called for Saturday's jumps fixture at Sandown, where the going is good on the chase course and good, good to soft in places on the hurdles course for the jumps season finale.

Conditional Luke Scott banned for 28 days after third breach of whip rules

Conditional rider Luke Scott has received a 28-day suspension for his third breach of the rules relating to the whip over the past six months.

An independent disciplinary panel convened on Wednesday to consider a referral by the whip review committee under rule (F)45. Nine of the 28 days will be deferred for six months. 

The jockey was banned for 14 days in February after the whip review committee found him to have used his whip twice above the permitted level of seven when runner-up aboard Progressive in a Class 2 race at Wetherby. 

Scott, who is attached to trainer Richard Newland, has ridden two winners under rules on the Flat and 17 over jumps, including victory on Progressive at Kempton five days before his Wetherby run.