Kempton farce

Punters were left scratching their heads yesterday after 14/1 shot Sol Rojo won the four runner Apprentice Handicap; the opener on Kempton's card.

Ridden by Dutch-born Josephine Bruning, 23, Sol Rojo was allowed a lead that totalled three furlongs at one point from the three other jockeys in the 1m 4f contest.

Despite the race being intended for jockeys who had ridden fewer than ten winners, all the pilots showed "gross inexperience" in allowing Bruning such a massive lead.

The three jockeys in question, Billy Cray, who rode 11-10 favourite and runner-up Outlandish, Paul Nolan and Ross Atkinson, were banned for a total of 34 days for not responding to Bruning's massive lead.

The Stipendiary steward, Paul Barton, a former jockey, was quite clear in his damming of the trio.

He told the Racing Post: "I have never seen a race like that. The bans are above the entry point for this offence because it was so obviously wrong.

"It was gross inexperience."

Bruning won the race by 16 lengths but after easing her mount down at the finishing line, she roused her mount once more as the two place horses finally caught up with her and she went on to complete another full circuit of the track to once more show her lack of experience.

It was Bruning's first ever winner in Britain, one that she is likely to cherish, but this result should realistically be forgotten by all others, especially those that write the form book.