Raul da Silva banned for violent conduct after striking Crowley in the face

Raul da Silva has been banned for 21 days for violent conduct after striking fellow jockey Jim Crowley in the face in the Goodwood changing room.

Crowley suffered a cut and swollen lip that needed stitches after the incident, which followed the first race of Sunday’s meeting.

Da Silva struck Crowley after the 2016 champion jockey made a comment about his colleague’s riding in a 7f handicap.

Crowley did not miss any rides, competed in the last two races, and intends to take up his mounts on Monday. He declined to comment on the incident.

Da Silva offered a different interpretation of events, and claimed: "Jim came up to me and was aggressive, telling me I was a danger out on the track, and I told him to leave me alone.

"It carried on and two or three jockeys held me back when I was trying to defend myself."

Crowley's mount, the Patrick Chamings-trained Charles Molson, and Medieval, ridden by Da Silva and trained by Paul Cole, were unplaced in the race in question, in which there was no visible incident between the pair.

Jim Crowley: hurt at GoodwoodCredit: Edward Whitaker

Fellow jockeys Martin Dwyer, John Egan, Jack Mitchell, Richard Kingscote, two valets, the clerk of the scales, the changing room doorman and the racecourse medical officer were interviewed as part of the inquiry, which was not concluded until after the last race on what was Goodwood's family raceday.

Stipendiary steward Sam Angell said: “There was an altercation in the changing room and everyone who was there, from the other jockeys and valets to the doorman outside the changing room, was interviewed. We also heard from one of the racecourse doctors.

“Because of the significant number of individuals involved [in the inquiry], the evidence we had to gather and the seriousness of what we were dealing with, the inquiry went on throughout the meeting, stopping for each race.

"There was a lot of evidence around the altercation and the chain of events that led to it.

"After hearing the evidence, Da Silva was suspended for 21 days for violent conduct, in that he had struck Crowley in the face causing an injury which required medical treatment."

Angell added: “We reserve the right to revisit the matter if further evidence presents itself.”

There is no CCTV in the changing room, but CCTV outside in the main weighing room area will be studied.

Crowley, 39, has one of the most prestigious jockey jobs in racing as retained rider to Hamdan Al Maktoum, a position he has held since the autumn of 2016, when he was champion.

He has partnered 31 winners from 183 rides this year in Britain, his latest victory coming in the Listed Achilles Stakes on Muthmir, for his boss, at Haydock on Saturday.

Among the rides he has to look forward to at Royal Ascot is Sheikh Hamdan's King’s Stand favourite Battaash.

Da Silva, 31, has five winners from 62 mounts in Britain this year and rides mainly for Cole and Jose Santos. His ban begins on June 24 and runs until July 14.

Crowley is in action at Brighton on Monday afternoon, while Da Silva is riding at Windsor in the evening.

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