Russell & Enright hit with five-day bans Davy Russell and Phillip Enright are set to miss out on most of the Christmas period after both picked up five day suspensions in a bizarre incident at Clonmel. Russell was partnering the 8/13 favourite Leave At Dawn, and the former champion jump jockey lost his whip after the hot-favourite made a blunder at the first. Russell received the whip of Enright, who was riding 33/1 outsider Backinyourbox, before the next flight but the stewards took a dim view and charged the pair under Rule 272 relating to bringing racing into disrepute. The Charles Byrnes-trained Leave At Dawn went on to make a number of mistakes, and was also hampered two out where Russell did well to keep the partnership intact. The JP McManus-owned gelding eventually finished a well-beaten eighth behind 10/1 winner Stay With It, while Backinyourbox finished 12th. The suspension takes in the Saturday and Sunday before Christmas (December 20 & 21) plus the three days after Christmas (December 26, 27 & 28). Russell said, “I never set out to do it, and it wasn’t premeditated. The suspension has come as a bit of a shock. I’ve nothing more to say and will have to digest it.” (TW & AM)
