Simon Crisford on Cesarewitch fallout: 'I'd imagine there are a lot of disgruntled punters out there - it's a complete mess'

Simon Crisford, the joint-trainer of Cesarewitch runner-up Manxman, described the prospect of the narrow winner Alphonse Le Grande being disqualified on Tuesday as "totally unsatisfactory" for punters.

Following the historic handicap on Saturday, winning rider Jamie Powell was deemed by stewards to have used his whip ten times before scoring by a nose, four more than the permitted level on the Flat.

That is the trigger point for disqualification if the BHA's whip review committee, which meets on Tuesday, agrees that all ten uses made contact and none were clearly used for safety purposes.

If Alphonse Le Grande is disqualified, he will be the third and most high-profile winner to be thrown out since the penalty was introduced in 2023, and the £90,000 first prize will be awarded to the connections of Manxman, who was ridden at Newmarket by Sean Dylan Bowen.

However, that will come as little consolation to supporters of the well-backed runner-up, sent off at 7-1, given all bets are settled based on the official result on the day after the weighed-in signal. 

"The first point to make is it shouldn't have happened in the first place," said Crisford. "The rules are there. They're very clear and they're there for a good reason. Things like that shouldn't happen, but it did and now racing has to pick up the pieces because I'd imagine there are a lot of disgruntled people out there who have either lost their money or not won it, whichever way you look at it. It's a complete mess.

"For the sport's customer base, the punter, it's totally unsatisfactory. British racing has to look after that core group because if it doesn't they'll go elsewhere. Something has to happen for the future, which will for sure take time, but I think people have to work on this to try to come up with a sensible plan. In this modern age of technology, every other sport has a video referee and everything is handled quickly.

Runners spread across the track in the Cesarewitch on SaturdayCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"I know it's highly complex with racing and disqualification on the day would bring its own set of problems, but where there's a will there's a way. The solution might not come to hand right away but this is a lesson for the sport to learn from. 

"It's happened before but this is a high-profile race. The unfortunate thing is it feels like there will be no winner of the Cesarewitch because the moment has gone."

Crisford, who trains alongside his son Ed, faced a similar situation in Australia last year when West Wind Blows was beaten a head by Without A Fight in the £2.5 million Caulfield Cup. The winner was not disqualified but jockey Mark Zahra was suspended for seven days and fined £25,000 for striking his mount nine times, four over the permitted level.. 

After narrowly missing out in another big race, the trainer said the yard had been left feeling "a bit deflated". 

"The Cesarewitch is such a fabulous race," added Crisford. "I remember when I started working for John Dunlop in 1982, the first horse I had anything to do with was Mountain Lodge, who won it, so it's a race I'd dreamed of winning. 

"It's a really difficult situation and when we heard about the prospect of the winner being disqualified, we just felt a little bit deflated. I feel for all of our staff. It's left a sour taste."

In a statement released on Saturday, confirming Powell's ride had been referred to the whip review committee, a BHA spokesman stressed no breach of the rules had yet been found, and added: "There have been several cases already since the new rules were implemented whereby a ride was referred and carried a potential disqualification but the whip review committee did not reach this outcome."

Read more:

Alphonse Le Grande prevails in photo-finish but 33-1 shot could be disqualified after rider breaks whip rules 

Punters may not be the only ones losing out on the Cesarewitch controversy - spare a thought for Sean Dylan Bowen 

Billy Loughnane denied Grade 1 glory abroad as Soprano finishes second in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup 

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