What started with a girth on Tuesday took in a bottle of champagne yesterday and culminated in Richard Dunwoody being referred to the Turf Club Appeals and Referrals Committee, writes Brian O'Connor.

Dunwoody, still smarting from a two-day suspension for trying to weigh out without a girth, yesterday marched up to the stewards' secretary Peter Matthews in the weighroom and presented him with a bottle of champagne.

The gesture was not appreciated by the officials who later interviewed Dunwoody, found his conduct and his explanation unacceptable, and referred him on.

Dunwoody is considering an appeal against Tuesday's suspension and said afterwards: "I was rushing between races and the girth was inadvertently left off." He added: "The champagne incident was meant as a joke."