Shadow Of Light became only the second Middle Park Stakes winner since 1982 to complete a Group One double in the Dewhurst Stakes here on Saturday, but the afternoon may prove to be just as memorable for a looming controversy over Alphonse Le Grande’s narrow win in the Cesarewitch Handicap, which followed the day’s feature event.
Alphonse Le Grande, a 33-1 outsider, and his apprentice jockey, Jamie Powell, beat the well-fancied Manxman (8-1) by a nose in a thrilling finish in which the two horses were separated by much of the width of the track.
Powell, though, appeared to use his whip 10 times on Alphonse Le Grande, four more than the six-stroke limit and the trigger point for automatic disqualification if the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Review Committee (WRC) agrees with the 10-hit count when it meets on Tuesday.
“We can confirm that the ride by Jamie Powell on Alphonse Le Grande has been referred to the Whip Review Committee,” a BHA spokesperson said on Saturday. “The horse will not be disqualified unless [the WRC] determines the whip has been used four times or more above the permitted level, and, for example, that all uses made contact and none were clearly and unequivocally for safety purposes only.
“There have been several cases already since the new rules were implemented whereby a ride was referred and carried a potential disqualification but the committee did not reach this outcome.”
If Alphonse Le Grande is disqualified on Tuesday, he will be the third winner to be thrown out since the penalty was introduced in early 2023, and the most significant by far. The Cesarewitch is one of the season’s most valuable and historic handicaps, and the £90,000 first prize will be awarded instead to the connections of Manxman.
Hereford 1.30 Leloopa 2.00 Lock Out 2.30 Aotano 3.00 Baskerville 3.30 Invictus Allen 4.00 Honey I’m Good 4.30 Apples Moon 5.05 Hedera Park
Windsor 1.42 Maid In Chelsea 2.12 Bama Lama 2.42 Rikissa 3.12 Thankuappreciate 3.42 Galactic Glow 4.15 Zambezi Magic 4.50 Albus Anne 5.25 Crocus Time
Musselburgh 1.50 Dogged 2.20 Deauville 2.50 South Parade 3.20 Reel Her In 3.50 Eminent Jewel (nap) 4.20 Space Ninja 4.55 Royal Duke
Kempton 4.05 Mokaatil 4.40 Layaali 5.15 More Than A Feelin 5.45 Naval Command 6.15 Your Lordship 6.45 El Zoud 7.15 Starshiba 7.45 East Bank 8.15 Dynamiste
Wolverhampton 4.25 Phoenix Beach 5.00 Veblen Good 5.30 Mesaafi 6.00 Vaunted 6.30 Addosh 7.00 Port Noir 7.30 Tasever 8.00 Bobacious (nb) 8.30 Blue Hero
Punters who backed Manxman, however, will still be on a loser, as all bets are settled based on the official result on the day, once the “weighed- in” signal has been relayed from the clerk of the scales to confirm that all horses were carrying the correct weight.
There was so little between the two horses at the line that Manxman’s backers will certainly argue that Powell’s apparently flagrant breach of the whip rules was the difference between victory and defeat. And yet, while the owners of Manxman will get their due, punters who picked him out in one of the season’s most treacherous events will not.
There was at least a more agreeable outcome for favourite backers in the Dewhurst Stakes, as the even-money chance Shadow Of Light stayed on well to beat Expanded by a neck with Ancient Truth the same distance away in third.
The winner was described as being “all speed” by Charlie Appleby, his trainer, after his win in the six-furlong Middle Park Stakes here a fortnight ago, but it was clear that he was already having second thoughts when the colt was added to the Dewhurst, over an extra furlong, with a £35,000 supplementary entry on Monday.
Goodwood: 1.50 Judgementofsolomon 2.25 Just King High 3.00 Alcazan 3.35 Mayday Malone (nap) 4.10 Castle Gates 4.45 Alpha Crucis (nb) 5.20 Phoenix Passion.
Ffos Las: 2.10 Moviddy 2.45 Wicked Thoughts 3.20 Moveit Like Minnie 3.55 Jipcot 4.30 Gavin 5.05 Johnny Mac 5.40 Tamarind Bay.
His winning chance increased significantly on Saturday morning when The Lion In Winter, the ante-post favourite for next year’s Derby, was ruled out of the race due to a bruised foot. While Ancient Truth, his stable companion, looked a likelier winner a furlong out, Shadow Of Light stayed on well in the closing stages to earn the victory.
“Those people that don’t change their minds are the ones that normally get stuck in a rut,” Appleby said afterwards. “You have to be open-minded in this game because at the end of the day, they’re living, breathing animals. When they’re fit and well, run ’em.
“William [Buick, his jockey] said, ‘he did it all the right way round, I was finding all the way up the hill and when they got close to me, that’s when he really found again’.
“He said to train towards the Guineas [over a mile next spring], and if we don’t stay, we won’t be the first horse to drop back to the Commonwealth Cup [over six furlongs at Royal Ascot].”
