Connections of Alphonse Le Grande have won their appeal against his disqualification from first place in last month’s Cesarewitch at Newmarket, with the horse now officially reinstated as the winner.
The disqualification initially occurred after apprentice jockey Jamie Powell was found to have used his whip 10 times in the race's final stages, exceeding the permitted limit by four. Due to the significant value of the race, the Whip Review Committee had initially awarded the win to Manxman, trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, who finished just a nose behind.
Trainer Cathy O’Leary and the Bet Small Win Big Syndicate, who own Alphonse Le Grande and Powell, appealed this decision. Powell’s 28-day suspension was also reviewed. The independent British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel found that one of Powell’s strikes was unintentional as he switched his whip from one hand to the other.
Panel chair Sarah Crowther KC explained that Powell’s altered body position and balance led to unintentional contact. She stated, “Not every contact between a whip and a horse constitutes ‘use.’ In this case, the contact was incidental and could not have impacted the horse’s performance.”
After concluding that Powell’s actions amounted to nine strikes—three above the limit rather than four—Alphonse Le Grande’s disqualification was overturned, and Powell’s suspension was reduced to 20 days.