Alphonse Le Grande was narrowly declared the winner of the valuable Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday, although he now looks set to be disqualified from the race due to apprentice jockey Jamie Powell falling foul of the whip rules.
Despite winning consolation races for the Chester Cup and the Northumberland Plate earlier this year, the gelded son of Sea The Stars was sent off a 33/1 chance racing under the name of Cathy O'Leary, sister of Tony Martin, who is serving a suspension for breaking anti-doping rules. The ban was extended when Martin went to Newcastle to watch Alphonse Le Grande.
Having been held up towards the rear under last year's Irish champion apprentice, Alphonse Le Grande began to make inroads towards the stands' side rail. The progressive five-year-old struck the front deep inside the final furlong, but he was soon joined by Manxman, who flew late on the other side of the track to force a photo-finish.
Manxman looked like being called the winner to many but following a fairly lengthy wait, it was announced that Alphonse Le Grande had prevailed by a nose.
However, following a review of the race, it was deemed that jockey Jamie Powell struck the horse ten times, four times over the permitted limit of six. The offence will result in disqualification for both horse and rider, which would make Alphonse Le Grande just the third horse to be disqualified in Britain.
Speaking before the news had broken of breaching the whip rules, Powell said: "I thought I was beat, and I asked Sean (D Bowen on Manxman) pulling up and he thought he had won. It's never great when you don't know but when I saw my name on the screen, it was great.
"I'm delighted to win for Cathy and all the team at home and it was great it all worked out well.
"I have ridden over here last year over that sort of trip and track, and it was unusual to see them split. I could see plenty of fancied horses in front of me and when I could see James Doyle (on The Shunter) and Ryan Moore (on Queenstown) near me, I was delighted.
"The horse took me everywhere; I was a passenger there today, but he was tough at the finish and got his head in front."
He added: "It's a big deal to come over here and ride winners, especially big ones, and it's been a bit of a quiet year. It's nice to get one before the season ends and it will be a year to remember, anyway.
"It's my first winner over here from six or seven rides and I did the Racing League this year as well. It was nice to get my first winner.
"I was late into it, my father Anthony Powell was a jump jockey and won the Irish National and my grandfather is a Classic-winning jockey in Ireland on the Flat, so I do have a racing background.
"But myself personally, I never rode racehorses till I was 16. It's worked out since I've started, and it seems to be going well anyway."
Also talking before the news was announced that Powell had breached the whip rules, Cathy O'Leary commented: "It was down to our jockey, it was a great ride from him and great of him to bring him over for a bit of better ground,"
"It's a big buzz and he's a little horse with a big heart, he's class and he got a great ride.
"I think he might be going for a holiday after winning three big races, he deserves it. I'm sure he could keep climbing higher in the staying ranks."
