Racing: Prescott horse banned for 40 days for not trying

The colt, sent off a 16-1 shot, finished seventh behind Stepping Up in the opening juvenile maiden race over six furlongs.

The stewards fined Prescott £2,000, suspended Guillambert for 14 days and banned Secret Liaison from running for 40 days.

Prescott was not at Newcastle, but did see the race at his Heath House yard in Newmarket. He said: "I have only seen the race on the television. I did not see anything amiss and thought the horse ran well for a first-time-out two-year-old.

"I only hope the stewards are right this time because the only other time I have been had up under this rule in a 36-year training career was in 1998, also with a first-time-out two-year-old and also over six furlongs at Newcastle.

"The horse was called Swagger and it took me a year, seven races and a rating of 39 to make him a winner in an all-weather amateur riders' handicap over a mile and six furlongs."

Secret Liaison is banned from 8 September until 17 October. Prescott plans to review the race further before deciding on an appeal.