Jockey Pat Cosgrave was handed a 28-day ban by the British Horseracing Authority for an incident on Thursday at Chelmsford, in which the veteran “failed to ride out approaching the finish.”
Cosgrave rode favorite Concorde for trainer George Boughey, which cleared all rivals by about a length approaching the finish of the one-mile contest. Despite looking over both shoulders, Cosgrave misjudged the location of the horse to his inside, My Roxanne and rider Ben Robinson. When Cosgrave geared down his mount, Robinson rallied up the rail to win by a nose.
Cosgrave told Racing TV: “I sat last in the race and worked through the gears in the straight and past all the other horses. I've just made a judgement of error, a mistake, and the eventual winner has just caught me unaware. I made a mistake and I'd like to apologize to the owner Mr. Roy and the trainer George Boughey. It's embarrassing but I have to take it on the chin. I'm really embarrassed and really sorry. The horse should have won.”
Full replay and reaction: Pat Cosgrave was handed a 28-day ban following Concorde's shock defeat at Chelmsford on Thursday evening. You can also watch @jess_stafford_'s interview with the rider in our report below
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 21, 2023
Boughey and the owner stood by Cosgrave after the incident, reports the Racing Post.
“I feel for Pat,” said Boughey. “He's a hard-working jockey who has become a big part of our team this year. Mistakes happen and it's just one of those grave mistakes you never believe is going to happen to you. He was very good to speak live on TV about it because it's not a nice position to be in, but Pat has our full support. The owners say they want him to ride for them again when his ban is over and hopefully we can swiftly move on.”
The BHA stewards' report said: “Pat Cosgrave, the rider of Concorde, placed second, beaten a nose, had failed to ride out approaching the finish. After being interviewed and showed recordings of the incident, Cosgrave was suspended for 28 days for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing on a horse that would have finished first.”
The post ‘I’m Really Embarrassed And Really Sorry’: Jockey Pat Cosgrave Banned 28 Days After Mistake Causes Nose Loss appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
