'He just let fly at me' - frustration for Rossa Ryan and punters as Goodwood favourite Kinross kicked out of race by rival horse

Rossa Ryan said he was taken completely by surprise as a kick from Audience behind the stalls prevented Kinross from attempting to win a third Lennox Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday.

The Ralph Beckett-trained Kinross was the favourite to win the 7f Group 2, which ultimately went the way of 25-1 outsider Witness Stand, but as he was waiting to be loaded for the race, Audience, winner of the contest last year, kicked his opponent on his near-foreleg, resulting in a cut which prevented the eight-year-old from entering the stalls.

Ryan said: “I was nowhere near Audience and he kept backing up and just let fly at me. I just want to say a big sorry to everyone involved. It was a bit of a freak thing.

“He seems fine, but it’s just a pity. There was blood coming out, but he’ll be fine, he seems fine anyway.

“It honestly happened that fast it took me by surprise. It’s one of those things I’m afraid.”

Rossa Ryan: “It honestly happened that fast it took me by surprise"Credit: Pool (Getty Images)

After the withdrawal of Kinross before the race, there was further drama in it, with the Jersey Stakes winner Noble Champion losing his action after just a furlong and being pulled up by Kieran Shoemark.

Shoemark reported to stewards that he “felt something amiss”, and a post-race examination found the Ed Walker-trained Noble Champion to be lame on his right-hind.

Witness Stand had previously won a Listed race and had returned to form at that level at Chester the time before, but the four-year-old, picked up for 100,000gns at Tattersalls last autumn, was allowed to start at generous odds. 

Witness Stand won a messy Lennox Stakes from Lake ForestCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

He scorched off into a three-horse breakaway group with Quinault and Audience, and was committed for home just over a furlong out by Hollie Doyle, maintaining his gallop all the way to the line to win by a commanding two and three-quarter lengths.

Lake Forest emerged from the pack to take a distant second, with Audience and Quinault filling out the first four places.

Jamie Insole, who trains the winner with Richard Newland, said: “It’s amazing, I couldn’t have dreamed for better than this. I’m pretty emotional. You work your whole life to get somewhere like this, and I’ve been involved with a lot of Group winners so to now train one is pretty special.

"I already had this race in mind for him when we bought him last year and a bit of ease in the ground today helped him. He looked pretty good there and luckily I put him in the Foret this morning, so that’s looking like a good idea.”

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