Jockey apologises for "embarrassing" gaffe as favourite loses in startling error
A jockey held his hands up over an "embarrassing" error which cost his horse certain victory.
Pat Cosgrave eased up on Concorde in a race at Chelmsford, 1-6 favourite to win his second race within a week.
The pair looked to be on their way to a comfortable success in the Bosh Handicap, until the dramatic incident. Cosgrave glanced over both shoulders to see where the other horses were – and appeared to write off the chances of My Roxanne.
As he slowed his horse down, that rival's jockey Ben Robinson kept his mount up to her work and pinched the prize right on the line.
Cosgrave accepted responsibility over the loss, as he was handed a 28-day ban by the on-course stewards.
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"Obviously I sat last in the race and I went up through the gears into the straight," he told Racing TV.
"I passed all the four horses, I just made a judgement of error and made a mistake. The eventual winner has got up my inside and caught me unaware. First of all I would like to apologise to connections, Mr and Mrs Roy, also my trainer George Boughey. It's a bit embarrassing really, but I have to take it on the chin. I'm really sorry, the horse should have won.
"I have to accept it was completely my fault."
The commentator was also caught out by the nose victory, while punters despaired at the result.
"He's laughing at them here. Concorde, well his career has certainly taken lift off this week," he said, as the horse was about to follow up his Redcar triumph from Monday.
"Concorde eased down. Oh that is close in the end! Wow, wow, wow – Concorde has been joined on the line by My Roxanne."
Cosgrave said: "I have to accept it was completely my fault." (Getty)Concorde holds entries at Pontefract and Windsor on Monday, if his Newmarket team choose to turn him out again quickly. A total of £12,000 was matched at the lowest odds, 1.01, on the Betfair Exchange.
Bookmakers Paddy Power called it a "very unfortunate error" and paid out on Concorde as the winner.
The BHA stewards' report said: "Pat Cosgrave, the rider of Concorde, placed second, beaten a nose, had failed to ride out approaching the finish.
"After being interviewed and showed recordings of the incident, Cosgrave was suspended for 28 days for failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing on a horse that would have finished first."
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