IRISH champion jockey Charlie Swan escaped without punishment for an embarrassing upset on the new Triumph Hurdle favourite at Newbury yesterday. He was cleared by the stewards but heckled by punters for his losing performance on the Martin Pipe trained White Sea.
Apparently coasting to victory in the Stroud Green Juvenile Novices' Hurdle, Swan seemed to be caught napping by the late run of Kerawi.
He was going so easily in front that the rider looked around several times in the straight. But he didn't appear to realise Kerawi was closing fast until after the last when Swan's belated effort came too late to prevent a length and three quarters defeat.
As the pair returned to the winner's enclosure, one disgruntled punter shouted at Swan: "Have you got a stiff neck Charlie from all that looking round?"
But Swan retorted: "They are entitled to their opinions. White Sea got tired in the ground."
Trainer Martin Pipe added: "It was disappointing, but we could have been last and second is better than nowhere."
Initially no inquiry took place, but the stewards later considered the performance and accepted Swan's explanation.
He told them that the filly was light framed and raced keenly early on. Entering the straight he wanted to give her a breather to save her as much as possible.
She fiddled the last two and landed flat footed after the last, but while the winner idled when he hit the front and White Sea did pick up, Swan felt that she could not have beaten the winner.
Despite the defeat bookmakers took no chances with White Sea who was immediately promoted in the Triumph Hurdle betting.
She is now 6 to 1 favourite (from 14 to 1) with William Hill, Coral's 7 to 1 joint favourite with Shooting Light and 8 to 1 second favourite with Ladbrokes. Kerawi is a best priced 12 to 1.
Winning jockey Carl Llewellyn admitted he was surprised by the victory but still rates his mount.
"They went a hell of a gallop and I was hoping to finish second at best," he said.
"I had my head down and was not watching Charlie who seemed a long way clear. There was mud on my goggles but I just kept pushing.
"I don't know what happened to his mount, she might have been tying up or stopping. But my horse picked up well in the straight. He pricked his ears in front and was dossing on the run in."
Kerawi, backed at 14 to 1, was landing the first leg of a £400 win double for owner Matt Archer who has taken 9 to 1 about stablemate Romancer in today's Tote Gold Trophy.
Trainer Nigel Twiston Davies said: "We were lucky to win because the other made an error but our horse will only get better.
. Lynda Ramsden was yesterday fined £400 by the disciplinary committee of the Jockey Club. The committee was considering whether Ramsden had committed a breach of Rule 32(i)(c) and Rule 58, concerning her failure to check the identity of Cimmerian from the markings contained in the filly's passport, and to check the remaining information before endorsing acceptance.
The matter had been brought to the attention of the stewards of the Jockey Club by Tattersalls where the horse was due to be sold on October 30th last year.
