Jason Maguire may have to sit out the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in a row after the Ludlow stewards banned him for a fortnight under the non-triers rules. The jockey, who plans to appeal against the decision, was found to have given Born To Succeed a “schooling or conditioning” ride in the £4,000 maiden hurdle that closed Wednesday’s card at the Shropshire track.
A five-year-old who had been well beaten on his two previous starts, Born To Succeed was sent off an apparently unfancied 28-1 for the Ludlow race and was never in contention. The Racing Post’s analyst noted Maguire giving him two “reminders” with the whip before the third-last but that the horse made “no impression” on the leaders, trailing home 23 lengths adrift of the winner.
The stewards evidently felt that was not the end of the matter and asked Maguire why his mount had appeared “tenderly ridden”. They noted his explanation as being that Born To Succeed had become “very tired at the entrance to the home straight, was not quick enough to take any gaps and did not jump well in the closing stages. He therefore felt it prudent to keep a good hold of the horse.”
Ben Pauling, Born To Succeed’s trainer, evidently reported that the horse was nervous and that he was therefore “keen that the horse should be allowed to get home in its race in order to progress its education”. He confirmed that Maguire had followed his instructions.
The stewards found both men in breach under the rules, fining Pauling £3,000 and banning the horse from competing for 40 days. Maguire said he would appeal against the decision but did not wish to offer further comment at this stage. Pauling was unavailable for comment.
Maguire missed last year’s Festival after a shocking fall at Stratford that left him with a fractured sternum and bleeding on the liver. He returned to action in September and has since amassed 63 winners, though this season’s major prizes have so far eluded him.
The YouTube video of the Ludlow race is provided courtesy of www.racinguk.com
