Frankie Dettori considers appealing against nine-day ban as John Gosden questions 'severe' penalty

Frankie Dettori suggested he would appeal against a nine-day careless riding ban he incurred at Royal Ascot on Tuesday – a suspension that, at the moment, means he cannot ride star filly Emily Upjohn in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown next month.

Dettori was on Saga in Tuesday's Wolferton and stewards said he shifted the royal runner right when insufficiently clear, causing James McDonald on Cadillac to take a significant check, which caused his mount to become severely unbalanced against the rail.

That had a knock-on effect on Certain Lad and Notre Belle Bete, but Dettori believes he may have been treated harshly.

He said: "I've got my lawyers on it and I'm sad that I'm missing Emily, but it's one of those things. I'm glad nobody got hurt and nobody fell. It's that point of the race where you go into a bottleneck, especially when the false rail is out and we all got together and hampered McDonald.

"If there is room to appeal, we will, but I'm not going to do it to waste everyone's time."

John Gosden, who trains Emily Upjohn with his son Thady, provided Dettori with his first winner of Royal Ascot 2023 when Gregory landed the Queen's Vase.

He feels an appeal would have merit.

"I think he has to," Gosden said. "I think the penalty is severe and it would be fair enough if that was looked at. 

"None of those stewards have ever ridden out of that mile-and-a-quarter gate here when they're going hard. They're pushing in, trying to get up the inner, trying to go here and there coming across from the outside. It's brutal and that's why I feel the mile-and-a-quarter gate here is very bad.

"It's straight to the elbow and bend and I think it was a severe decision. I always look at that gate and think, for the Prince of Wales's Stakes, I hope it's a small field – it's the same with the Champion Stakes."

Gosden has not contemplated a potential replacement for Emily Upjohn and added: "I'm not thinking like that, but she is going there all being well."

Read more:

Frankie Dettori given nine-day careless riding ban on frustrating first day at Royal Ascot 

'A final winner here was on my bucket list' - Dettori thrilled to be off the mark at farewell royal meeting 

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