Four to five chance Long Journey Home (backed from at least equivalent odds against this morning) but easy in the market on track, got the job done under Niall McCullagh to lose his maiden tag at the fourth time of asking in the Follow Us On Facebook Maiden at Navan.
Runner-up Maggie Neary didn't make the job of her rider Fran Berry easy in the closing stages and that helped Long Journey Home hold on close home having poached a race winning advantage with over a quarter of a mile left to race.
Jimmy 'Slim' O'Neill, representing winning trainer John Oxx, said: "Niall said he got very idle in the last furlong or so having been clear. He probably wants to go back up to a mile and a half and maybe he could do with easier ground too."
The Stewards interviewed F.M.Berry, rider of Maggie Neary, concerning his use of the whip inside the final furlong. Evidence was heard from the rider who stated that his mount became unbalanced in the closing stages and he pulled his whip through to correct this. In addition he said that the winner began to tire in front and he probably tried a bit too hard to catch him. He accepted that he needs to make more effort to correct his whip use and has been trying hard to do this .
Having viewed the video of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards were of the opinion that F.M.Berry was in breach of Regulation 10 (Use of whip – failing to give his mount time to respond) and taking his recent record into account, they suspended him from riding for 3 racedays and ordered that he attend RACE for a days tuition on proper use of the whip.
