28-06-2025
Amateur jockey banned after horse is gifted race by blunder with seconds to go
Natasha Cookson was handed a 28-day ban by stewards at Cartmel after she appeared to stop riding when set to win on Book Of Secrets. The error benefited Alan O'Sullivan's mount Saligo Bay
An amateur jockey was handed a 28-day ban from racecourse stewards after a late error in a race proved costly.
Natasha Cookson was on-course for victory riding Book Of Secrets at Cartmel on Friday but appeared to misjudge the winning post.
At the time horse and jockey were set to pass Alan O'Sullivan's mount Saligo Bay and take first place in the John Wade Amateur Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle, run on ground changed to soft before race one.
With just seconds of the 2m 1f contest left, Racing TV footage showed how 7lb claimer Cookson stood up in her irons on Book Of Secrets, trained locally by James Moffatt.
Immediately noticing what happened, commentator David Fitzgerald said: "Half a furlong to go, Saligo Bay and Book Of Secrets have gone on to Lightening Company. Saligo Bay the inside, the nearside is Book Of Secrets.
"Oh she has stopped riding! And Saligo Bay has won.."
Cookson realised her mistake and started to drive away again on Book Of Secrets, competing in a refitted hood, but there was no time left to catch Saligo Bay who held on by a neck.
In-running comments of Cookson's ride said: "Held up towards rear of mid-division, headway from three out, chased leaders after last, went second final furlong run-in, keeping on well when rider appeared to misjudge winning line and briefly stopped riding towards finish, not recover final strides."
The race was reviewed by the stewards who interviewed Cookson, who has had one winner from 21 rides over jumps in Britain during the past five seasons.
Their report read: "Miss Natasha Cookson, the rider of Book Of Secrets, placed second, beaten a neck for first place, had appeared to stop riding shortly before the winning post. Being a 7lb claiming amateur, Miss Cookson was accompanied in the enquiry by trainer James Moffatt. After being interviewed and shown recordings of the incident, Miss Cookson was suspended for 28 days, on dates to be notified to her by the Head Office of the British Horseracing Authority, for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing on a horse that would have finished first."
Cookson and O'Sullivan are both competing in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Amateur Jockeys' Handicap on the flat at York this afternoon.
Run over 1m2½f, 17 runners are due go to post, with Cookson aboard outsider Sharona for Jessica Bedi and O'Sullivan partnering It's A Love Thing for Saligo Bay's handler Sam England.
