Drama at Newmarket

There was drama at Newmarket as Sohraab was promoted to first place having initially finished a head second to Fathom Five in the £20,000 intercasino.co.uk Handicap.

The stewards came to their decision after considering Philip Robinson, who had partnered Bryan Smart’s demoted charge, was guilty of improper riding in that he purposefully failed to modify his whip action to prevent Sohraab passing him.

Robinson was hit with a four-day ban as a result and will be out of action from July 4 – 7.

While punters had an amended result to contend with, the interest surrounding events did not end there as Robert Havlin, rider of Sohraab, also fell foul of the stewards.

He was suspended for seven days (July 4 – 10) for improper riding after appearing to strike Robinson and/or his mount after the runners had passed the post.

The card was also notable for the success of the promising Unnefer in the intercasino.co.uk Maiden Stakes.

The Danehill Dancer colt, running in the Niarchos family colours of Oaks winner Light Shift, gave trainer Henry Cecil his first two-year-old win of the season when striding readily clear of Mujaadel for a two-and-a-half-length success and is set for a step up in class.

“I am very pleased with him and I hope he will go on improving,” the Warren Place maestro told www.henrycecil.com.

“He liked that bit of give in the ground today. We will see how he comes out of this, but the Superlative Stakes (at Newmarket on July 13) is a possibility - time will tell.”