Brendan Powell banned for 14 days
Jockey, Brendan Powell has been banned for a couple of weeks, after he took the wrong course when riding Benny The Swinger in the Fakenham, Diana And Tony's Favourite Racecourse Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase on Tuesday.
The Chris Gordon-trained runner was declared 5 to 4 favourite. In the hands of Brendan Powell who has registered a couple of wins so far this season, the 7-year-old made a fantastic start. By jumping right, he led in the very beginning of the event.
Despite a mistake in the middle, the son of Beneficial managed to stay ahead. Powell was well clear, when he went wrong side of the divide. Instead of crossing the wire, the jockey went off track, and jumped the fence right in front of the stands, which
was clearly a violation of the rules.
The whole crew was left shocked by what had happened. Showing no mercy, the officials decided to impose a ban of 14 days. Chris Gordon also expressed disappointment over the incident.
The handler said after the race: "I'm not going to shout at the boy, I'm going to let his father do that. Brendan will be gutted and the owner will be gutted and it is very upsetting."
"It's one of those things but it happens too often at Fakenham. It is a sharp course and if only they dolled it off on the last circuit so jockeys don't make that mistake."
Not only the punters but also the bookmakers were disappointed over the outcome. Being the favourite, Benny The Swinger had attracted plenty of bets, but it was a frustrating finish for him.
Powell’s father, Brendan Powell snr also admitted that his son made a huge mistake. Commenting on the incident, he tweeted: "He made a mistake. He's devastated. Only 17. I think that's enough abuse now. Thanks."
On the other hand, the stewards were adamant that the rider deserved the punishment. After a complete inquiry, Powell was found guilty; however, it is unsure whether he did that consciously.
Stipendary steward, Tony McGlone stated: "Obviously we looked at his ride but we were satisfied that he had ridden out all the way to the line."
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