Frankie Dettori has been given a two-day riding ban by the Ascot stewards following an inquiry into his use of the whip on Stradivarius in the Gold Cup.
The stewards were unable to interview Dettori on Thursday, so the hearing was carried forward to Friday.
The officials ruled Dettori had used his whip above the permitted level in the closing stages of the race, one which prompted much discussion afterwards and left trainer John Gosden wondering out loud why Dettori had opted to take the three-time winner back from his early position.
The eight-year-old had to be switched widest of all for a run, and despite finishing with a flourish he had to settle for third behind Kyprios and Mojo Star.
Speaking after the race, Gosden said: “I think there was obviously no real pace and I was a bit surprised being in the box seat we dropped back so far and the problem is when they sprint, you’ve got to get a run and he had to come widest of all, so his head was turned around to get a run.
“He had a chance the last furlong, but the race had just slipped on them. They had gone a pretty steady old pace.
“Great horse to get here and to turn up now in five Gold Cups, just to be here, and to have the longevity he’s had. He has come back in and he’s had a neigh, he seems happy. So a great credit to the horse and to the owner-breeder for keeping him racing.
“There are younger horses there who are first and second, but I think I just wish we’d been a little handier and not had to go through a wall of horses.”
Asked if he felt it was a race that had got away, he said: “Potentially.”
Reflecting further, he added later: “I felt it was a very slowly-run race to be dropping back. They were only cantering the first time and he had a nice position. I couldn’t understand dropping back. Because once you do that, you know it will be a sprint and then you have got to get around them and I’d be happier if he stayed where he was.
“If there was a strong pace, I get it, but they were hack-cantering.”
Meanwhile, Dettori commented: “He ran good, I had an inside draw so I had to be careful what I was doing.
“I was tracking the winner, but the pace wasn’t that strong and in the end I had nowhere to go so I had to take him on the outside and that cost me a little bit.
“I don’t think it cost me the race. The young horses had fresher legs, I didn’t make too much headway when I pulled him out, maybe half a length, but as I hit the line they were going stronger than me.
“I had every chance to get him at the end, but they were stronger than me.
“He owes nothing to racing, he’s been a magnificent horse and even though he got beaten today he went down fighting.
“He is eight and I laboured a bit in the end and I was never going to get him. He tried hard.”
“He’s been a star, but he’s got to pass the baton to the younger ones.”
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
