Racing: Ascot tactics 'robbed' owners says Morrison

Hugh Morrison yesterday refused to allow the controversy over riding tactics in last Saturday's Shergar Cup to fade away. The trainer said that owners in his stable felt they had been "robbed".

Morrison remains unhappy that a filly he trains, Jasmick, managed only fifth place in the stayers' race at Ascot on Saturday, having been used as a pacemaker by Kieren Fallon in order to help the Great Britain & Ireland team.

The filly is best when held up in her races, but Fallon took up the running in an apparent attempt to help the cause of the eventual winner, Mana D'Argent, ridden by Fallon's teammate Pat Eddery.

"It can't be brushed under the carpet as it raises a number of issues," Morrison said at Newton Abbot races yesterday. "Next year Ascot will have to look seriously at how they reorganise it."

The trainer believes that the adoption of "team tactics" conflicts with the Rules of Racing which require all horses to run on their merits, and he claimed that a division of prize money is the best answer.

"Perhaps they should think about lowering the standard, making people aware that it is a team event and dividing the prize money up for the team – so if the team wins £40,000 the horse who finishes last still gets his £8,000. That would make it fairer. Our owners feel they were robbed as she would have been second if she had been ridden properly.

"The Rules of Racing have been broken by the organisers who set it up. You can't blame the jockeys, they were trying to win a team event."

The Great Britain & Ireland team defeated the Rest of the World jockeys by 137 points to 110. Morrison said on Saturday that Jasmick should have been held up and added: "I can't blame Kieren Fallon. I blame Ascot. They were building up the team beating the other team [Rest of the World] so what do you expect the jockeys to do? They are told to win and they created a scenario in which my horse got abused basically."

At a subsequent stewards' inquiry, Fallon blamed the lack of pace as the reason behind his early move on Jasmick. John Maxse, the Jockey Club's press officer, said subsequently: "There was an inquiry held on the day and the explanations were noted. My understanding was that Kieren was aware of that [Jasmick needs holding up] but the horse wasn't settling in behind therefore he allowed it to bowl along."

Fallon is at Salisbury today, along with Frankie Dettori who returns from illness after 10 days on the sidelines.

But Dettori's comeback from a bout of chicken pox will be immediately cut short as he will have to go to Jockey Club headquarters in London tomorrow to attend a disciplinary committee inquiry into his riding of Lobos at Newmarket in June.

The Italian's agent, Ray Cochrane, said yesterday: "He is bright as a button now. He is a little bit heavy but he is in good form."

Darryll Holland returns to action today with eight rides at Yarmouth and Sandown after serving a 12-day ban. Holland takes in six races at Yarmouth in the afternoon before flying to Sandown, principally to partner Mark Of Zorro for Richard Hannon.

"I feel really refreshed, so while the ban was frustrating I can return as if I'm starting the season again," Holland said.