Jack Garritty given ten-day ban over Red Derek ride at Leicester

A third-place finish at Leicester has resulted in a ten-day suspension for jockey Jack Garritty, after an inquiry found he had left Red Derek too far behind to achieve his best possible placing.

The Lisa Williamson-trained ten-year-old finished strongly in the 16-runner handicap over a mile and two furlongs. He crossed the line eight lengths behind the winner, Elora Prince, trained by Adrian Wintle, Racing Post reports.

The inquiry examined how Red Derek became detached towards the back before making up ground late on. His times for each of the last three furlongs were quicker than those of every other runner.

Slow start disrupted the plan

Garritty said he had been instructed to take a forward position on the 11/2 chance. He had also been told that the gelding had plenty of stamina and was suited to heavy going.

But a slow start prevented him from securing that position. With the leaders setting a strong early pace, Garritty said he chose to restrain Red Derek and move wide rather than immediately try to close the gap.

He acknowledged that his approach could have looked as though he had left the horse too much to do. However, he argued that an earlier effort would have weakened Red Derek’s finish.

Williamson’s representative said he was satisfied with the ride, despite the slow start preventing Garritty from following his instructions.

The inquiry concluded that Garritty had not done everything reasonably permitted to secure the best placing. It found that he had allowed the gap to grow during the middle of the race, leaving excessive ground to recover with four furlongs remaining.

Red Derek’s most recent win was in October 2022.

Source: Racing Post