Murphy and Elsworth to appear at inquiry

Timmy Murphy and Dominic Elsworth will be required at an inquiry at Wincanton on Thursday following the alleged changing room altercation at Newbury on Friday which forced Murphy to miss the ride on Hennessy favourite Our Father with a dislocated left shoulder.

A fact-finding inquiry was held at Newbury on Saturday, but was adjourned after senior stipendiary steward Paul Barton had taken evidence from Elsworth, valet Chris Maude and Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, as he was unable to interview Murphy, who was at home recovering from the injury.

Barton said: “I spoke to Timmy Murphy by phone but he wasn’t well enough to come to give evidence. I’ve arranged to reconvene the inquiry at 11am at Wincanton on Thursday, though I’d hoped to conclude matters before then.”

The alleged incident between the two riders occurred after Friday’s 2m4f handicap chase, in which Elsworth was second on Easter Meteor and Murphy fourth on Upsilon Bleu.

Murphy’s agent Chris Broad said on Saturday: “How long a dislocated shoulder keeps a jockey out depends on the individual, but I’m not booking Timmy rides in the immediate future.”