Mernagh victory whips up a storm

Trainer Richard Fahey and his stable jockey Paul Hanagan lost out for the second time in a week in controversial circumstances when Inch Perfect’s two-length defeat at the hands of Mr Gisby was confirmed following a lengthy stewards’ inquiry at Southwell.

In the Bet Direct On Sky Text Page 371 Handicap Hanagan brought Inch Perfect to challenge Mr Gisby in the straight, but as the former ranged alongside he seemed to falter and the film appeared to show that he had been struck three times on his head by Mr Gisby’s rider Dean Mernagh’s whip.

Mernagh reported that his whip had been broken in the stalls, and the stewards had to decide whether Inch Perfect had been hit intentionally and whether the incident had affected the result.

However stewards’ secretary, Paul Barton, explained: “Inch Perfect was hit over the nose three times, but the stewards were not convinced that it was deliberate (on Mernagh’s part) and decided it was accidental.

“If they had decided that it was intentional then Mr Gisby would have lost the race, but as they decided that it was accidental they then had to consider if it had affected the result and they decided that it hadn’t – there was two lengths in it at the line.”

On Wednesday Fahey’s Altay was disqualified after winning at Lingfield and Hanagan picked up a six-day suspension for irresponsible riding of a major nature, but they have lodged an appeal which is due to be heard on Wednesday.

Fahey said afterwards with a wry smile: “I didn’t see anything.”

But speaking later on attheraces he added: “I thought we might get the race but they took the view that it was accidental so we don’t.”

However, the win was a change of luck for Mr Gisby’s trainer Stuart Williams, and he said: “To be fair we have had only five to go on the all-weather and we have not had many runners.

“But we have got 36, including 12 two-year-olds for the turf season and they are coming back in – we are looking forward to running Lunar Leo again, he was second in the big seven-furlong handicap on the Saturday of Royal Ascot and that will be the target again.”

Hanagan had earlier picked up a one-day suspension (January 24) after the stewards found him guilty of using his whip with excessive frequency on Sharp Gossip in the first division of the betdirect.co.uk Handicap.

Sharp Gossip had needed plenty of help from the saddle to get the better of Czar Wars and give Morecambe-based Manchester City supporter Neil Palamountain his first success as an owner.

This was a first strike of the year for Middleham trainer John Weymes who said: “It is nice to get off the mark and we are looking forward to the turf season, we are full up with 33 horses which include 15 two-year-olds and it looks a good team.”

Apprentice Darren Williams needs only one more winner to lose his claim after he took his career score to 94 when Pharoah’s Gold ended a quiet spell for trainer Derek Shaw, who was at Lingfield, in the second division of the betdirect.co.uk Handicap.

Star Princess left punters shell-shocked when she popped up at 100-1 under Lisa Jones in the Bet Direct On 0800 32 93 93 Median Auction Maiden Stakes.

But the success was not the greatest surprise to trainer John Gallagher who said: “I am delighted for her owners, there are 20 or 30 in the Young Roman Racing Club.

“But I must admit, if she had not run well today I would have told them to take her home because it would not have been fair to them to keep paying the training bills.”

Littlemissattitude was on a ‘red card’ too but she earned a reprieve from the paddocks when Dean McKeown got the Karl Burke-trained filly up right on the line in the Bet Direct Football Cashbacks Classified Stakes.

Burke said: “She does not do a lot when she hits the front so I told Dean not to hit the front too soon, but I did not think he would leave it that late!

“That was one of her last chances, her owner Nigel Shields had virtually given up on her and he was looking for a field to turn her out in.”

However, McKeown also fell foul of the stewards for using his whip excessively and he will be sidelined in January 20 and 21.

Ian Semple’s team at his satellite yard at Wolverhampton racecourse is on the mend having been hit by the virus, and Maktavish gave further evidence of that with a decisive success under Derek McGaffin in the Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap.

Winning owner, Ayr-based David Savala, whose smart handicapper Kelburne has had a slight setback but will again be trained for the Royal Hunt Cup, explained: “I claimed Maktavish out of the James Toller stable for £10,000 at Sandown in September so it was all on my head.”

Tony Culhane was seen to good effect as he brought the James Unett-trained Fight The Feeling home in front in the Bet Direct On Channel 4 Page 613 Handicap.