The former top Flat jockey Robert Winston, who made an unexpected and successful return to race-riding in Bahrain last week, has had his licence to ride in the country suspended and is believed to have returned to Britain while an investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding his departure.
Winston, a former champion apprentice, was on course to be crowned champion jockey on the Flat in 2005 when he suffered serious injuries in a fall at Ayr, and while he has two Group One winners to his name – most recently aboard Librisa Breeze in the 2017 Champions Sprint at Ascot – he was also banned for a year in 2007 by the British Horseracing Authority’s independent disciplinary panel for passing information for reward.
Winston initially announced his retirement from race-riding in 2019, citing problems maintaining his weight and the ongoing effects of injuries.
Huntingdon 12.21 Fern Hill 12.51 Keep It Cool 1.26 Lady Tadita 2.01 Rip Wheeler 2.36 Dickens 3.11 Kingston Sunflower (nap) 3.46 Crystal Jet
Lingfield 12.42 Korkoran 1.17 I’m Your Buckaroo 1.52 Ikarak 2.27 Golden Ambition 3.02 Silver Thorn 3.37 Princess Keri (nb)
Hereford 1.00 Race To Base 1.35 Only One Blue 2.10 Kit’s Coty 2.45 Mix Of Clover 3.20 Lunar Power 3.55 Graecia
He made a low-key return to action in the 2021 and 2022 seasons but had not ridden in Britain since March 2022 when he announced in mid-October that he had been granted a licence by the authorities in Bahrain ahead of the start of the country’s racing season on 31 October.
Winston rode a double from two mounts on his return to the saddle last week but it has now emerged that his contract with trainer Paul Smith has been terminated and that his licence has been suspended.
A spokesperson for the Bahrain Turf Club, quoted in the Racing Post on Friday, confirmed that “following an incident involving Mr Robert Winston, his licence was suspended” and added that the circumstances are “the subject of an ongoing investigation”.
