Jockey Pat Cosgrave has been handed a 28-day ban by stewards at Chelmsford after he eased up on a hot favourite and dramatically snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The incident occurred in the Bosh Handicap over a mile, where Cosgrave was riding the George Boughey-trained Concorde, the $1.17 favourite.
Cosgrave was on track for a comfortable victory, but his decision to ease up inside the final furlong proved to be his downfall, resulting in My Roxanne, an $8.00 chance, overtaking Concorde in the final stride to win by a nose. The incident caused frustration and disappointment among those who backed Concorde, with many expressing their outrage on social media.
Following the race, Cosgrave gave an interview to Racing TV’s Jess Stafford, where he expressed his remorse over the incident. “I’ve just made a judgement of error, a mistake. The eventual winner has just caught me unaware,” he said. Cosgrave went on to apologize to the connections and his trainer, George Boughey, adding, “It’s a bit embarrassing, really. I just have to take it on the chin.”
Despite his admission of fault, Cosgrave’s ban has caused controversy in the racing community, with some arguing that the punishment is too lenient.
