Ryan Moore’s son disqualified over weight error after finishing second on fourth ride
Toby Moore was beaten a short head on favourite Miller Spirit, trained by grandfather Gary and uncle Josh, but it later emerged the horse was carrying 15lb less weight than he should have
The son of Ryan Moore was left ‘shell-shocked’ on Friday after his horse was disqualified moments after he had come close to riding the first winner of his career. Toby Moore, 17, who works for top trainer Charlie Appleby, made his race-riding debut at Kempton on October 10, finishing third.
Toby’s father Ryan, the world's number one rider, is one of three successful jockey sons of trainer Gary Moore. His uncles Jamie and Josh, both now retired from the saddle, were jump jockeys, his aunt Hayley Moore is a presenter for Sky Sports Racing.
At Newbury on Friday he was appearing at his third race meeting with two rides trained by his grandfather and uncle, Gary and Josh.
Both horses Yellow Star and Miller Spirit were well backed before racing and started favourites for their respective races. Yellow Star was a well beaten ninth in the apprentice handicap but Miller Spirit ran more to market expectations, narrowly losing out to Macari by a short head in the 1m4f handicap.
However after the riders returned an objection was lodged against Miller Spirit by the clerk of the scales.
Sky Sports Racing reporter Luke Harvey said: “He was found to be 15lb light. Now you may wonder how that could happen because he had the correct saddle but Gary and Josh had another horse in the race.
“We actually saw the travelling head lad coming out of the weighing room with a saddle under each arm. Somewhere along the line the wrong weight cloth has gone onto the wrong saddle.
“So when Toby came back in he was 15lb light. As you can imagine for a young lad like that, he looked shell-shocked. It wasn’t his fault. It was confusion whilst the horses were being saddled. It means he’s obviously disqualified.
“It’s one of those awful things that happens. It’s down to human error but unfortunately it will make headlines.”
The stewards’ report said: “The clerk of the scales objected to Miller Spirit, placed second, ridden by Toby Moore, and trained by Gary & Josh Moore on the grounds of the rider weighing in at 8st 7lb having weighed out at 9st 8lb.
“The rider, the trainer, the valet and the clerk of the scales were interviewed. Moore was fined £1,000 as the trainer’s representative had failed to saddle the horse correctly by failing to add the correct weight cloth to Miller Spirit.”