Hughes will not appeal ban
Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:05Richard Hughes has decided not to appeal against a five-day suspension over the running of Summer View at Goodwood. The six-year-old finished 11th in the Newton Investment Management Stakes over a mile at the Sussex track on Tuesday after what the stewards considered to be quite tender handling .
Trainer Roger Charlton was fined £800 and the horse suspended from running for 30 days from May 23. "I'm not going to appeal, but Roger is going to appeal because under no circumstances was I not trying. I was told to win the race if I can. At the same time I was told not to hit the horse," Hughes told BBC Sport at Goodwood today.
"Roger wasn't happy with the ride I gave the horse but I went round to Roger's last night. He asked me why I did not kick on a bit earlier and I showed him the video and Pat looking down at his mount (Oakley Rambo). I thought that horse had broken down. I told Roger that, to be honest, I was worried about what Pat was doing than getting on with the race."
"(It was) My mistake totally. It didn't look good but under no circumstances was the horse not trying," he add. Hughes' suspension runs from May 29 to June 2 inclusive, which rules him out of Newmarket's two-day fixture and the French Derby at Chantilly.
Filed by Brendan Cole
