Racing: Kieren Fallon gained his third win in the Group Two Daily Record Scottish Derby on Michael Stoute's Princely Venture at Ayr yesterday, but there was a sting in the tail for the five-times champion who controversially picked up a two-day suspension for careless riding.
As it is only a two-day ban it can be deferred if there is a Group One race on any of those days so he will be sidelined on July 31st and August 1st and will therefore be able to ride in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on July 30th, the day the ban would have normally started.
The stewards decided Princely Venture had interfered with fourth-placed Private Charter (beaten a length and a half) as a result of Fallon being careless, but he felt he was hard done by and after initially leaving the impression he would not be taking the matter any further he had a change of heart.
He reasoned: "I am going to appeal I have done nothing wrong and I am going to miss two days of Goodwood as a result - I had gone past Private Charter and was clear of him and was entitled to go to the rails."
Stipendiary steward Anthony Gillam said: "Kieren allowed his horse to drift left-handed with his whip in his right hand and not taking any action to prevent interference taking place."
Princely Venture was found to be lame after finishing unplaced in the Irish Derby in June last year and did not run again, but he looked a picture of health yesterday, and taking up the running inside the final quarter mile he won decisively by three-quarters of a length from Sights On Gold with Delsarte a neck away in third.
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