'Crazy' - Warren Greatrex hits out at non-trier insinuation as he wins appeal

Warren Greatrex has successfully appealed against his £3,000 fine which he received after raceday stewards deemed Beaufort to have been schooled or conditioned in public at Newbury this month, with jockey Gavin Sheehan’s suspension halved to seven days.

Beaufort, a 250-1 chance, had been banned from running for 40 days after he finished 13th of 16 runners, 76 lengths behind Lecale's Article in a novice hurdle on December 16.

The stewards on the day deemed rules (F)37 and (F)39 for schooling and conditioning on the racecourse had been breached, noting the horse "appeared to be ridden without substantial effort from Sheehan".

Watch the Newbury race here

Sheehan, one winner shy of riding 500 winners, told the independent disciplinary panel on Thursday: “My instructions were to get him settled and creep. I got him switched off eventually but he was flat out and I wasn’t able to creep into the race.

“I was squeezing him along in the back straight and there was no response, then I was asking him for more and more effort in the straight but he was struggling and not jumping great. I was lower in the saddle and asking for effort.

“The racecourse is the last place you would want to school a racehorse as it’s where you have other horses coming at you, you go far quicker than on the schooling grounds and it can blow a horse’s brain.”

Beaufort had finished in front of nine of 37 rivals in four hurdle starts – in which he had raced keenly or freely each time – before the race at Newbury and been beaten an average of more than 60 lengths.

Greatrex stated the horse had been “very hard to train”, had twice had his soft palate operated on, undergone Hobday surgery and has a history of suffering an exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage, with one found by a vet 48 hours after his Newbury run.

Greatrex, who attended the Zoom hearing and was represented by Graeme McPherson, said: “He’s been very hard to train, goes out on his own most days, wears a hood at home and is ridden by the same girl every day.

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

“We have every facility you need in Lambourn – the best schooling grounds you can have – so the idea that we went to Newbury for the purposes of schooling and conditioning is crazy.

“Gavin did everything he can to achieve the best possible position and I don’t think the horse has the ability to go any faster.”

Gavin Sheehan: gave evidence at the appeal before riding at Warwick on ThursdayCredit: Getty Images

Various replays were watched during the hearing with Sheehan giving commentary on the footage and answering questions on the ride.

In delivering the verdict, panel chair Tim Charlton QC said: "There was a failure by Mr Sheehan to call for, and most importantly to be seen to call for, the substantial effort that rule (F)37 demands. However, that was not in our view a deliberate act and there was certainly no pre-planning involved.

"His failure was negligent rather than deliberate and it was not a ride we characterise as either schooling or conditioning. The case against Mr Greatrex therefore falls away entirely and we will reduce Mr Sheehan's suspension to seven days.

"There were all sorts of problems he had with the horse but we recognise it's a case for a proper penalty as he's an experienced rider and he must be taken to know that every ride has to comply with rule (F)37 and this one didn't."

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