Geldings won't be eligible to run in Commonwealth Cup from 2020

From 2020 geldings will no longer be permitted to run in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

The European Pattern Committee initially agreed to relax its rules relating to three-year-old-only Group 1 races to help the contest to become established.

The announcement is being made now to give racing professionals an early warning of the change in race conditions.

Only three geldings – one each in 2015, 2016 and 2017 – have run in the race during the first four years of its existence.

Hazel Hill's rider banned

Champion point-to-point rider Alex Edwards was handed a 15-day ban and fined £400 by the Cheltenham stewards after they found he had used his whip above the permitted level on Foxhunter hero Hazel Hill, who narrowly landed the feature 3m2½f hunter chase on Friday night.

Explaining the suspension and fine, stipendiary steward Chris Rutter said: "We found that Alex Edwards used his whip 15 times aboard Hazel Hill, which is way higher than the permitted level and he was banned as a result.

"As the race was worth £25,000 there was also a financial penalty involved and we fined him £400. The BHA will notify him with the suspension dates."

The ban is likely to rule Edwards out of the big championship hunter chase evening at Stratford at the beginning of next month.

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