JOHNNY Murtagh further incurred the wrath of the British stewards on the opening afternoon of Royal Ascot, picking up bans totalling seven days which will rule him out of the Coral-Eclipse meeting at Sandown next month.

Johnny Murtagh further incurred the wrath of the British stewards on the opening afternoon of Royal Ascot today, picking up bans totalling seven days which will rule him out of the Coral-Eclipse meeting at Sandown next month.

Ermine Sea, third in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot for John Gosden, could run in the JCB Triumph Hurdle for his new handler Henrietta Knight.

Ermine Sea – placed four times this season including at Royal Ascot – got off the mark with a courageous display in the Gardner Mechanical Services Maiden Stakes at Newbury.