RISING star jockey Harry Davies admitted ‘I deserve to be punished’ after a bizarre winning ride landed him a ban.
Davies, 18, spoke eloquently after his eye-catching win on Galactic Jack at Salisbury on Wednesday.
Galactic Jack cut a lone figure down the stands rail – with his jockey picking up a ban
Galactic Jack had his own ideas about which route to take in the Bibury Cup at @salisburyraces but he and Harry Davies still manage to prevail. A double on the card for @AndrewBalding2 and owner Jeff Smith.
pic.twitter.com/S9XPZOJ1vs
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 28, 2023
The three-year-old colt, trained by Sun Racing columnist Andrew Balding, was sent off 12-1 for the 1m4f Class 3 contest worth £13,000 to the winner.
Galactic Jock shot out the stalls and was quickly dictating pace in front.
But disaster struck when the horse veered wildly left going round the right-hand home bend.
It meant rival runner Krona was forced massively off her intended line.
But Davies will not be banned for that, as stewards found there was no riding offence and it had not improved the placing of Galactic Jack.
Instead, Davies told Racing TV he had gone one above the permitted level of whip strikes and is set for a four-day ban, which he insists he fully deserves.
The young rider said: “I think I probably used the whip up too early. Then once it got tight I got caught in the heat of the finish.
“But I broke the rules and deserve to be punished for it.
“He’s a difficult horse but in the new rule book that’s the way it is.
“You go one over you get penalised, it’s the way it should be.”
Punters praised his honesty, especially as many other riders have hit out against the severity of the new guidelines.
One said: “What a level-headed, honest young apprentice. Bright future ahead of him.”
Another wrote: “Intelligent lad.”
While a fellow punter posted: “Good lad, Harry. Spoke so well.”
Frankie Dettori recently felt the full wrath of the new whip rules.
His ride on Inspiral at Royal Ascot has landed him an eight-day ban and means he misses a ride in the July Cup.
The Newmarket Group 1 remains the only one Dettori has not won during his career – and now he won’t get the chance to claim it in his final season in the saddle.
