Frankie Dettori to miss Melbourne Cup after bans totalling 16 days for overuse of the whip on two Champions Day rides

Frankie Dettori will miss the chance to win next month's Lexus Melbourne Cup, one of the few major races not on his glittering CV, after being suspended for a combined 16 days for overuse of the whip on two of his British Champions Day rides.

Dettori was found to have used his whip once above the permitted level of six strikes in the final two furlongs aboard the John and Thady Gosden-trained Trawlerman in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.

The Godolphin stayer initiated a memorable double for the rider on his final day in the saddle in Britain, and he signed off with victory in the Champion Stakes aboard the Roger Varian-trained King Of Steel.

Dettori, however, also went one over the whip limit earlier on the card on Champions Sprint second Kinross, with the whip review committee finding him to have used his whip seven times inside the final two and a half furlongs of the 6f event.

He will be out of action from November 7 to November 24, with the Melbourne Cup at Flemington taking place on the first day of his suspension.

Frankie Dettori: out of action from November 7 to November 24Credit: Edward Whitaker

Dettori said: "Regretfully at British Champions Day I went one stroke over in the opening and subsequent race.

"Following the whip review committee meeting early this week, my 16-day suspension will take effect from Tuesday, November 7, meaning I am unable to ride at the Melbourne Cup carnival.

"With flights booked, I still plan to attend Australia's premier meeting to support the event."

Australia's most famous race is one that has frustrated Dettori over the years, having ridden in the 2m Grade 1 handicap 17 times without success.

He finished second aboard 50-1 shot Central Park when beaten just a head by Rogan Josh in 1999 and filled the same spot aboard the Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite, who finished half a length behind Prince Of Penzance in 2015.

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Master Of Reality passed the post a head second behind Vow And Declare under Dettori in the 2019 running – the last time he rode in the race – but was demoted to fourth after a protest.

Absurde, who Dettori won the Ebor on for Mullins at York in August, had been mooted as his possible Melbourne Cup ride but Zac Purton was recently booked for the 16-1 shot after he was allotted a low weight of 8st 5lb.

Frankie Dettori was given an eight-day ban for his winning ride on Trawlerman (near side)Credit: Edward Whitaker

Dettori was one of three riders to have gone over the whip limits at the big season finale fixture at Ascot.

Sam James enjoyed a first Group 1 success aboard the Karl Burke-trained Poptronic in the Fillies & Mares Stakes but similarly went one over the limit of six strikes.

It was James's fifth whip suspension in the past six months, and third in less than 24 hours after going one over the limit twice at Newcastle on Friday evening, with the rider referred to the judicial panel and potentially facing a longer ban.

The on-the-day racecourse stewards suspended David Allan for eight days for his ride on Kinross' conqueror Art Power in the Champions Sprint.

Allan went over the permitted whip use level by one. The suspensions for the riders have been doubled due to them taking place in Class 1 races.

British racing's new whip rules came into force over jumps in February and on the Flat the following month. Among the most notable suspensions since their introduction was Jim Crowley's 20-day ban and £10,000 fine for using his whip nine times aboard King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes scorer Hukum at Ascot in July.

A BHA spokesperson said: "Ensuring fairness is a key element of the rules and the penalties which are in place – in these cases those governing the most prestigious and valuable races – are intended to act as a deterrent against overuse of the whip. This is, in part, to ensure that all participants, and those betting on the race, have a fair chance.

"Over the course of the year, we have seen jockeys adapt superbly to the new rules and the overall offence rate has markedly decreased. The overall objectives of the rules governing the whip, which came about following a lengthy consultation process and have been refined through regular dialogue with jockeys, are to ensure its more judicious use for encouragement, improving the perception of its use and ensuring that outcomes of races are fair."

Read these next:

'Is this real?' - Frankie Dettori bows out of British racing with magnificent victory on King Of Steel in Champion Stakes 

'That was nuts, absolutely nuts' - fantastic Frankie Dettori raises the roof with epic defeat of Kyprios on Trawlerman 

'He was like Mick Jagger' - Oli Bell hails Frankie Dettori and a 'special' Champions Day 

The jumps season is coming! Pick up your copy of The Big Jump Off, out now and packed with everything you need for the 2023-24 National Hunt season. Our brilliant 72-page supplement, including ante-post tips, guest columnists, top trainer profiles, divisional analysis and much more, is available to order from the Racing Post shop here.