Teal 'really upset' after discovering Ocean Wind is unable to run in Cesarewitch

Roger Teal is ruing his luck after leading Cesarewitch fancy Ocean Wind was ruled out of next month's Newmarket marathon after it was discovered he was not qualified to run.

The two-time bumper winner was halved in price to 6-1 market leader with most firms for the 2m2f contest on October 10 after landing last Saturday's course-and-distance rehearsal, the Cesarewitch Trial.

In keeping with the new rules since racing's return, Ocean Wind was allowed to run in his first handicap after just two runs, winning off a mark of 89. However, the rules for the Cesarewitch differ, stipulating that a horse needs to have had at least three runs by the point of entry in order to qualify, and Ocean Wind hadn't had that crucial third run by that stage.

Teal said: "It's really upsetting to be honest as we thought we'd done everything right by running Ocean Wind in the Cesarewitch Trial only to discover two days later that he can't run. We know it has not been a usual year in any sense of the word but you thought they may have waived the rules in this year of all years."

Teal added: "This year you get a handicap mark after just two runs rather than the usual three but they're saying that as the Cesarewitch is a historic handicap, you needed to have run three times when you first entered."

Roger Teal: trainer of talented stayer Ocean WindCredit: Edward Whitaker

A well-backed 5-4 favourite when scoring by four and a half lengths last weekend, Ocean Wind will not now be returning to the Rowley Mile but could yet have a crack at the All-Weather Championships, for which the stayers' final is staged at Lingfield in April.

"It's disappointing, but there's a two-mile-two handicap next month at Pontefract we could have a look at and beyond that perhaps the All-Weather Championships," Teal said.

Before his Flat exploits, which before Newmarket numbered a third and a win in a maiden at Lingfield, Ocean Wind won two bumpers last winter before finishing sixth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March.

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