Greatrex blasts 'ridiculous' £3,000 fine as 250-1 chance is ruled a non-trier

A furious Warren Greatrex is contemplating an appeal against the "ridiculous" decision of the stewards at Newbury, who fined him £3,000 and suspended jockey Gavin Sheehan for 14 days after Beaufort was deemed to have been schooled in public in Wednesday's maiden hurdle.

Beaufort, a 250-1 chance, was banned from running for 40 days after he finished 13th of the 16 runners, 76 lengths behind the impressive Lecale's Article.

The Racing Post's in-running comment noted the four-year-old was 'unruly at the post, midfield but on outer, dropped to rear before second, became detached third, switched left and on inner fourth, tailed off home turn', while the stewards noted the horse 'appeared to be ridden without substantial effort from Sheehan' and penalised the trainer for 'schooling and conditioning the horse on the racecourse'.

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Greatrex, who is based in Lambourn, hit back, saying: "I have to say it's just ridiculous. The horse has got a rating of 87. He's been very keen in the past and hard work at home. Last year he had a couple of runs and he was headstrong. He ran at Newbury last year and finished third and bled after the race.

"We took him to Perth and Kielan Woods rode. He led again that day and Kielan said he needed his wind doing and changing the tactics. We ran him at Plumpton recently where I instructed Gavin to do what Kielan had said and he did get better as the race went on, but he is what is.

"I've run him today to try and improve him as I think the more racing he does the better he'll get. He behaved badly at the start and jumped midfield but he was keen early on in the race and Gavin did the best thing by trying to take a pull to settle him."

Lecale's Article jumps the last in the novice hurdle in which Beaufort finished 13thCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Greatrex, who won the 2015 World Hurdle at Cheltenham with Cole Harden, added: "They've said he has not ridden him out to the line. Are we meant to beat horses that are out of contention? He's rated 87 and a 250-1 shot.

"He's not running for a mark as he has already got one. I'm just trying to get the horse to be better by running him. It's farcical."

The trainer, whose string have just hit form, continued: "I know Gavin plans to appeal. I will wait to hear from people and seek their advice and go from there. I'm confident I've done nothing wrong.

"I feel sorry for Gavin as he is going to miss 14 important days of racing. He is a good guy who was riding a bad horse. He has done nothing wrong."

Sheehan, who is not long back from a wrist injury, is set to be out from December 30 until January 12.

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