Let’s hope for a BHA Turner round

Great news that Hayley Turner has lodged an appeal against her 12-month race riding ban imposed by the BHA last month following a stalls accident.

After a record-breaking season last term Ms Turner really looked to be going places. I was absolutely stunned at the length of the ban. Quite rightly, those that govern horse racing in the UK cannot afford to take chances and, after being knocked out, not to mention a mouth and nose full of blood, the compulsory 21-day suspension was understandably issued.

The thing that seems utterly ridiculous to me though, is the fact that while the eye-catching jockey cannot ride on a race course, she is free to ride out in the mornings, and has been doing so for her boss Michael Bell since deemed unfit to compete professionally by medics at the BHA.

Surely if the medical chiefs feel riding in the mornings is not a threat to her health and safety, why is she labelled unfit to work as a jockey?

Those that have experience in the big training centres will be well aware that some jockeys can ride work on up to 10 horses per morning, fewer than jockeys ride on the race track in the afternoons.

With strong support from the industry's hierarchy, her name back on the race card should hopefully not be far away.

Smile, you've won

A terrific result for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, after Ghanaati scored easily in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.

She looks a quality member of the owner's exceptionally talented string, and was a very popular winner on the course where her supporters in attendance included UAE handler Mohammad Ramadan, Dubai Racing Club's Yasir Mabrouk, and members of the Dubai ruling family.

Celebrations from the winning connections on Sunday far eclipsed those displayed by John Oxx after his charge, Sea The Stars, romped home in the colt's equivalent the day before.

In a post-race interview, the Irish trainer may as well have won a seller at Sligo for all the excitement he showed.

Ryan Moore smiled more after his handicap win aboard Confront earlier in the day than Oxx did after saddling the winner of the first Classic of the season.

I know he has been responsible for some of the best horses we have seen, but surely a show of appreciation wouldn't hurt. His lack of enthusiasm put a real dampener on the whole occasion.

Not to be forgotten

You may remember I mentioned a horse called Forgotten Voice who'd won at Kempton a few weeks ago, well, he was in winning form again on Monday and is certainly a horse to watch. Trainer Jeremy Noseda was heard to mention Dubai in the horse's future plans. You heard it here first.