Ban rules Dettori out of French Derby

Frankie Dettori came with a hair`s breadth of being ruled out of the Epsom Classics when picking up a riding ban at Goodwood today that will force him to miss the French Derby.

And it was only the stewards` decision to find the Italian guilty of irresponsible riding of a minor, as opposed to major, nature that saved him from sitting out the Derby and Oaks.

Had the stewards opted for the more damning interpretation of the rule they could have given Dettori anything between five and 10 days, and a ban of eight would have covered both days of Epsom.

It looked a touch-and-go decision and the former champion can thank his lucky stars he is stood down from only June 1st-4th inclusive, the third day of which covers the French Classic, the Prix du Jockey-Club, at Chantilly.

Dettori`s offence came when partnering the Godolphin colt Hatha Anna into second spot in the Chichester Festival Theatre Conditions Stakes.

He switched his mount off the rail to launch a challenge outside the eventual winner Ulundi, who was edging in towards the fence with Pat Eddery, well over a furlong out and in so doing cannoned into Richard Quinn`s mount, Return. Hatha Anna went on to finish a neck second, with Return just over a further seven lengths adrift in fourth.

Stewards` secretary Jeremy Ker explained how Dettori was found to have been in breach of the rules.

'They reckoned that Eddery was clear, just, when he went across and that in any case there was sufficient room for Dettori to stay on the rail to come on Eddery`s inside,' he said.

'Dettori manoeuvred to his left interfering with Quinn, and the stewards felt that because it had been a manoeuvre it was deemed to be irresponsible riding.

'They then had to ask themselves whether it was of a major of minor nature. They came to the conclusion that it was of a minor nature and the scale of offence for minor nature is three to five days, and they went for the middle and gave him four.'

Quinn`s mount Return was knocked violently off balance in the collision but although the horse lost third place to Moon Solitaire by only a head, the stewards did not see this as grounds for delivering a harsher penalty on Dettori, which would have seen Hatha Anna disqualified and placed last.

Ker said: 'It knocked him to the left. He was dropping back at the time and I think the interference was probably more dramatic than it actually was. And with it being minor irresponsible you`d have to ask yourself would Quinn have beaten Dettori; the third horse doesn`t come into it.'

The winner, Ulundi, winner of the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr last month, is unlikely to see much more action on the Flat. Trainer Paul Webber is to prepare the six-year-old for the Galway Hurdle in mid-summer and then map out a campaign for next year`s Champion Hurdle.

Richard Hughes was the star of the riding show, rattling off a 66-1 treble on Seven No Trumps, Reel Buddy and Glenmorangie, the last-named duo giving trainer Richard Hannon an 11-1 double.

Hannon is considering the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot for Reel Buddy in the unlikely event of the horse remaining suitably handicapped for a tilt at the Britannia.

And among his rivals in the Group Three contest could be Al Ihsas, who made a successful comeback having undergone surgery following an attack of colic last year in the M-real Maiden Fillies Stakes.

Al Ihsas, who is trained by John Gosden, galloped clear inside the final three furlongs under Richard Hills to win by six lengths.