'My conscience is clear' (From Gazette & Herald)

'My conscience is clear'

Robert Winston, who last Wednesday became the fifth jockey to be arrested as part of the continuing investigation into allegations of race-fixing being conducted by the City of London police, has protested his innocence of any wrong-doing.

Winston, who lives at Huntington near York, and who was Britain's champion apprentice in 1999 when at Richard Fahey's Ryedale yard, returned to action at Wolverhampton on Monday after a 10-day break, following tonsillitis.

He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, and spent five hours being interviewed at a police station in York before being released without charge and was bailed to reappear in early May.

Winston found the whole incident upsetting and was embarrassed to find his name splashed across newspapers in much the same way as were fellow jockeys, Kieren Fallon, Fergal Lynch, Darren Williams and Paul Bradley, who had previously found themselves embroiled in the on-going investigation.

Winston is adamant that he is completely innocent of any offence. He said: "I haven't done anything wrong and I have nothing at all to hide. I went to the police station voluntarily and willingly assisted the police in their inquiries. My conscience is clear."

A total of 26 arrests have so far been made during the investigation, and with phones, computers and documents being seized, the haul of exhibits being analysed by police is thought to total more than 1,000.

Winston, 25, enjoyed his most successful year in 2004, riding 114 winners, and notching his first Group One triumph aboard Magical Romance in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. Among his other major victories were the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes at Cork, which he captured on the Tim Easterby-trained Golden Nun, and the John Smith's Cup at York, which he won in thrilling fashion aboard Arcalis, trained by Howard Johnson.

"Last year went brilliantly and I had great support from a lot of trainers and owners, which I hope will continue," said Winston, who has also ridden winners for the Queen.

"What happened last week was stressful, but I believe I am strong enough to rise above it," he added. "My aim is to keep my head down and continue to focus on my career."

Carte Diamond, one of two winners for the Gazette & Herald's Ten To Follow last weekend, is firmly on course for next month's Cheltenham Festival after returning to the glory trail at Musselburgh on Sunday.

The four-year-old followed up his debut success at Newcastle by justifying odds-on favouritism in the hands of Brian Harding.

After seeing Carte Diamond prevail by two-and-a-half lengths after making every yard of the running, Norton trainer Brian Ellison said he was well pleased with the performance of his stable-star, who will now be aimed at Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle.

"Brian said the horse loved the faster ground, which, hopefully, he will get again at Cheltenham," Ellison explained, "The ground was bottomless when he got beaten at Lingfield, and, because he came back light from that race, we gave him a bit of a break to freshen him up."

Ellison does not intend to race Carte Diamond again before the big Festival meeting, but he may choose to give him the next best thing. "If we think he needs it, we may decide to give him a racecourse gallop somewhere," he added.

Classic Capers was another winner for the Ten To Follow squad at Catterick on Friday. Malcolm Jefferson's progressive gelding gained a 9-2 success by four lengths from Italiano, trained by Peter Beaumont.

Now a dual-winner over hurdles this season, the six-year-old, who was again partnered by Fergus King, is regarded as a future steeplechaser by Jefferson, who is, nevertheless, keen to continue to make hay while the sun shines for him over hurdles.

The valuable EBF Hurdle Final at Sandown is his next target.

High Kick may never achieve the credibility of his half-brother High-Rise, winner of the 1998 Derby, but the Ryedale gelding looks a name to note all the same.

Richard Fahey's four-year-old made a winning debut at Musselburgh on Sunday when beating Irish challenger Love Supreme at odds of 6-1. It was not all plain sailing for jockey Padge Whelan, who received a two-day ban for careless riding.

Whelan was following up his success at Catterick on Friday aboard Moment of Madness, trained by Tim FitzGerald.

"Padge was right and I was wrong," admitted FitzGerald, after the gelding's success in the two-miles novices' chase. "Given that this horse is so stoutly-bred, I was sure he wanted a longer trip, but Padge has always been adamant." he added.

Don't Call Me Derek, a 55,000-guineas purchase at Newmarket Sales last autumn, has made an impressive winning debut for new trainer John Quinn.

The four-year-old, ridden by Graham Lee, bolted home five lengths clear of his rivals at Catterick after starting a solidly-backed 7-4 favourite.

Previously trained in Newmarket by Stuart Williams, and a decent handicapper on the Flat, Don't Call Me Derek looks a useful addition to Quinn's Settrington establishment. That said, he will not be going to next month's Cheltenham meeting.

"We'll keep him to smaller races," said Quinn, who is also looking forward to running the versatile Don't Call Me Derek when the Flat turf season kicks off again at the end of next month.

Also on the mark at Catterick was Ian Browne, who has only four horses under his care at his Nunnington yard, and who enjoyed a red-letter victory with Flemming in the selling handicap hurdle.

Although Browne has enjoyed success in the point-to-point sphere, and has also gained a hunter chase victory, this was his first winner as a permit-holder. Sent off at 12-1, Flemming scored by three-quarters of a length under Alan O'Keefe.

Fresh from a month-long working holiday in Dubai, Paul Mulrennan has wasted no time in getting back in the winning groove.

Mulrennan, who is apprenticed to Sheriff Hutton trainer Mick Easterby, was triumphant on his comeback mount at Southwell last week when he powered home the John Weymes-trained Danakim.

"It's great to get back on a winner straight away," said Mulrennan, who rode for the hugely-powerful Godolphin operation in Dubai. "It was a wonderful experience and can only have done me good," he added.

Remember the name of Ryedale apprentice Kristin Stubbs - she could prove the answer to a racing trivia question in the future.

Last week, the 24-year-old daughter of Norton trainer Linda Stubbs successfully appealed against a two-day riding ban, which she picked up for careless riding at Wolverhampton last month.

The unique nature of the case - and the reason it may figure in a racing quiz - is that the appeal was the first Jockey Club inquiry ever to be open to members of the press, and was therefore an historic event.

Ryedale trainer Paul Midgeley is hoping that a stable clear-out will reap its rewards in months to come.

Midgeley ended a barren spell at Wolverhampton on Friday when Sedge, the mount of Tony Culhane, gained a 9-2 success, which, hopefully, will turn the tide for his handler.

Midgeley said: "There was a lot of rubbish in the yard last year and I got rid of the horses who were useless. We have re-stocked and have 25 horses, 15 of them two-year-olds, and they look a half-decent team."

Peter Beaumont stood alone among Ryedale trainers in sending out a winner at Wetherby last Saturday - but the Brandsby handler had to wait until the final event to put a local name on the scoreboard.

Beaumont was triumphant with Seymar Lad, who belied his 14-1 odds under Russ Garritty by gaining a two-lengths success in the bumper. Still very much in the infancy of his career, this son of Oscar could be potentially useful.

Ryedale racing has lost a popular member of its fraternity, following the sudden death of Andrew Mills, who worked at John Wainwright's Kennythorpe yard.

Mills, who was 21 and suffered from Lupus SLE disease, was taken ill last weekend, and died in York District Hospital from meningitis.

Mills, who looked after Alpine Hideaway, came from Workington. "Andrew joined us last summer and was a good lad to have around," said Wainwright. "We shall all miss him."

Updated: 15:12 Wednesday, February 09, 2005