Jockey who won weight in champagne on ITV disqualified for breaking whip rules
A jockey who won her weight in champagne on ITV Racing has been disqualified for breaking the whip rules. The Queen Mother's Cup is one of the most prestigious races in the calendar for female amateur jockeys and a feature of Macmillan Charity Race Day at York.
Past winners include the Princess Royal, who rode Insular to victory on the Knavesmire in 1988. Saturday's renewal was contested by 12 runners ridden by some of the best amateur riders on the circuit.
The race was won by the Ben Brookhouse-trained My Dream World, ridden by Megan Jordan, who held off the late rally of Chillingham, ridden by Becky Smith. As part of the race's tradition the winning rider is presented with her weight in champagne during a weigh-in on the York podium.
During the race Jordan nearly came off when she lost an iron and also managed to catch her whip when it flew out of her hand. She told ITV Racing afterwards: 'It didn't quite go to plan but he's a lovely big horse and that probably helped me stay on. He looked after me when I needed him to.
'I just thought, 'Don't panic', and I was trying to reach down and catch the iron. My stick nearly went at one point but I thought come on and keep going.'
She continued: 'This is a race I've really wanted to win. It's only my second ever ride in it. Ben was very confident about him, he gave me a great feel the other day when I went and sat on him. I am very grateful to the connections.'
However Jordan's ride was referred to the BHA's Whip Review Committee by stewards who ruled she had struck My Dream World four times above the permitted level of six from approaching two furlongs out.
On Tuesday the committee announced: 'Taking into account that none of the uses were clearly and unequivocally for safety purposes, My Dream World was disqualified.
'Miss Jordan will be suspended for 14 days as follows: Friday 04, Saturday 05, Sunday 06, Thursday 10, Wednesday 16, Thursday 17, Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23, Thursday 24, Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 June 2025, Wednesday 06 and Thursday 07 August 2025.'
The decision to refer Jordan was ridiculed by Jim McGrath, the former Channel 4 Racing pundit who works for Sky Sports Racing.
'Fascinating case for BHA's whip review committee re yesterday's York winner, My Dream World,' he said in a post on X.
'Used 9 times or 10 (heavens to murgatroyd!)? Each feeble tap delivered with all the strength of a junior disprin. Welfare issue- you're having a laugh. Come in Mr Bumble.'
Brookhouse said: "We will most likely appeal. We have blown the film up and slowed it down, and there is significant doubt whether one of them connected or not.
"Rules are rules, but they were flicks in the backhand position more than smacks in the forehand.She's a young girl who has had a traumatic experience. She said she hit the front too soon and the horses idled on his fifth or sixth start. I don't blame her."
FREE £2 William Hill Shop Bets every day of Royal Ascot inside your Mirror
We've teamed up with racing experts William Hill to offer your a £2 FREE shop bet every day of the iconic Royal Ascot festival. Pick up your Mirror from Tuesday June 17 -> Saturday June 21, 2025 to get your hands on this great offer. With 12 pages of incredible pullouts every day, PLUS a £2 shop bet, the Mirror is ready to bring you all the runners, riders, and winners of Ascot 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Reporter
6 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Hibernian Women sign Spartans striker Hannah Jordan
Hibernian Women have announced the signing of forward Hannah Jordan on a one-year deal. The 20-year-old scored 13 league goals during the 2024/25 season for Spartans – the most from any individual in the division outside of the top five clubs. Jordan was also nominated for the PFA Scotland SWPL Young Player of the Year award, while she won the November 2024 SWPL Player of the Month award after netting four goals in three games that month – including a hat-trick versus Montrose. She has accrued 10 appearances for Scotland Under-19s, scoring once in a UEFA Women's U19 Euro qualifying match victory over Liechtenstein, and has featured in the Scotland Under-23 squad as recently as April 2025. Hibs Women head coach Grant Scott commented: 'I'm delighted to have Hannah join the Club. To have another one of Scotland's top young talents decide to join Hibs to further their development is fantastic. 'After a decent goal scoring season in a team that had a tough campaign last season, we think she can kick-on and add to our attacking options.' Speaking after signing her contract, Jordan said: 'I am looking to make the next step in my career and I think this is the perfect place for me to thrive in a full-time environment. 'Grant sold the move to me well. Seeing what the team did last season, winning the league, this is something that I wanted to be a part of.' Like this: Like Related
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Ash Barty shows her fans the first pic of her newborn baby girl with her big brother as she celebrates a family milestone
Aussie tennis legend Ash Barty has shared a photo of her newborn baby girl alongside her big brother as the retired star celebrates her son Hayden's second birthday. The former world number one took to social media on Wednesday to post a heartwarming photo of herself, husband Garry Kissick, son Hayden and newborn daughter Jordan posing in front of several cup cakes with two candles burning. 'Cake for breakfast,' wrote Barty. 'Happy 2nd birthday little man! We love you!' Barty gave birth to her daughter last month after revealing she was expecting over Christmas last year - humorously confessing at the time that she was 'terrified' of having two young children in her Queensland home. The Australian Open champ's big news in June was met with message after message of congratulations online, including well wishes from Tennis Australia and the Australian Open, with Kissick also sharing the announcement. 'It's been probably the best part of my life, being able to share this next chapter with my husband Garry, and we have no idea what we're doing but he's alive and he's happy,' Barty said of Hayden earlier this year. 'Terrified for what is going to come next but we'll figure it out, I'm sure.' The 29-year-old said she was readying herself to deal with 'chaos' with her second child. 'As an athlete I used to be the most meticulous, organised person and now it's absolute carnage,' Barty said. She announced she was expecting Jordan in a post on Christmas Day, showing her followers a picture of Hayden standing in front of their tree wearing a T-shirt bearing the words 'I'm going to be a... big brother'. Barty captioned the photo, 'Merry Christmas from our growing family to yours!' After winning the 2019 French Open, taking the Wimbledon crown in 2021 and making a dream come true with her 2022 Australian Open title, Barty stunned the sporting world by retiring at the peak of her powers on March 23 that year. She and Kissick met in 2017, married in July 2022 and revealed Hayden's birth by posting a sweet photo of him for her fans along with the words, 'Our beautiful boy. Welcome to the world, Hayden!' The three-time Grand Slam champion said she was bracing for 'chaos' in her household when she revealed she was pregnant with Jordan Ash later opened up about the joys of motherhood, revealing that raising her son has been rewarding in many ways. 'It's the best, and hardest thing, I've ever done,' she said. 'Hayden is amazing, I feel so very lucky. Garry and I are really just enjoying what is a pretty quiet time together at home as a little family.' Barty might be bracing for a turbulent time now that she has two very young kids to look after, but she said Hayden gave her a nice, calm introduction to motherhood. 'He's been a very good boy, very kind to me as I'm learning,' she said in January last year. 'It's amazing how quickly it's all gone, how much my life has changed but how natural it all feels. 'An amazing thing. And it's probably helped me appreciate my own mother, and my two sisters as well, in how they're raising their own children.'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Nick Kyrgios blasts Wimbledon bosses for scrapping 147-year tradition
The All England Club has been encouraged by Nick Kyrgios to embrace Wimbledon's traditional values after making a significant change for this year's tournament in SW19 Nick Kyrgios has revealed his sadness that line judges are no longer present at Wimbledon and called on the tournament to embrace its tradition. The Aussie tennis star even claimed the All England Club should never change their rules at the world's oldest Grand Slam. The All England club have scrapped 300 officials with an electronic system which uses artificial intelligence to tell whether a ball was in or out. Line judges were used for 147 years before the decision was made back in October to utilise Live Electronic Line Calling. The change moves Wimbledon in line with the Australian Open and US Open, while all ATP Tour events have also embraced the technology. Chief executive Sally Bolton suggested the technology is now 'sufficiently robust' as the tournament looks to achieve 'maximum accuracy' in its officiating. "I will, I will," said Kyrgios when asked whether he would miss line judges by talkSPORT's Hawksbee and Jacobs. "I actually had a conversation about this yesterday," he added. "I think Wimbledon should never change any rule. "It should be the only tournament that holds every tradition that ever started in tennis. I think every other week can have electronic line calling, but I wish Wimbledon kept it the same. "It's been 148 years with human line calls. I think they could have got to 150 and done a big anniversary challenge. "Personally, I think it would have been cool to have traditions of tennis never change at Wimbledon. But the tennis world's not going to listen to me." Though the decision has achieved support from the likes of top contenders Alexander Zverev and Lorenzo Musetti, there are those sympathetic to Kyrgios' position. Barbora Krejcikova, who won Wimbledon in 2024, is not a fan of the move. "I mean, to be honest, I like the old traditional style, so I like it the old way. With the new system, yeah, it's just the way it is,' she said. World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka was also sad to lose some tradition. 'I feel like Wimbledon always been like with the line umpires and kind of like historically you see the referees there," she said. "So I don't know. Maybe I would prefer that." It is perhaps a surprise to see Kyrgios emerge as the defender of Wimbledon's traditional values however. The Australian, who was unavailable to compete this year due to injury, was previously fined for wearing a red hat and shoes during a match in 2022. "I wore a red Jordan hat and red Jordans (shoes) just walking out there," Kyrgios said. "Predominantly, you have to wear all white. I got fined about $16,000 for wearing a red hat and then my red Jordans."
