Defending champion Paul Hanagan edged further ahead of Silvestre de Sousa as the jockeys’ title rivals both picked up five-day bans under the new whip rules on Saturday.
Hanagan started the day three ahead of De Sousa on 157 winners to 154 and wasted little time increasing his advantage as the Richard Fahey-trained Docs Legacy claimed the opener at Ayr.
However, the stewards ruled he had used his whip with excessive frequency and suspended him for five days although his dates of suspension take place after the Flat season concludes at Doncaster next weekend.
De Sousa struck with an eyecatching success on Farhh for Saeed bin Suroor at Newmarket to get the deficit back to three but a later second on Mark Johnston’s Abishena in the Listed Montrose Stakes saw him handed the same punishment as Hanagan by the stewards.
Like Hanagan, the Brazilian’s ban does not start until after Doncaster.
Hanagan made sure he ended the day four clear (159-155) when he won on Edwin Tuer’s Sphinx and will enjoy Monday and Tuesday without De Sousa who will be in Australia for the Melbourne Cup where he rides Fox Hunt for Johnston.
PA AAP TURF
