Racing: Fortt stays on Cogent

SIMON MCNEILL and Dan Fortt are to continue riding Katabatic and Cogent even though the horses' owner, Pell- Mell Partners, has severed links with Andy Turnell, now their former trainer.

Katabatic is joining Josh Gifford while Cogent is being returned to Jeremy Glover, his previous trainer. The pair are among a team of eight leaving Turnell's East Hendred yard after a dispute with Pell-Mell's Jim Chromiak and Richard Gilder. They had comprised more than a quarter of the stable's inmates.

'The split is not irretrievable but the horses are leaving,' Chromiak said yesterday. 'We have decided where our two best horses are going but not about the others yet.'

'Simon and Dan will keep their rides. Cogent has been entered in the Gold Cup in case he does anything in the meantime, but I think he prefers a flat track.'

The amateur rider Gerard Hogan was banned for five days for using his whip with unreasonable frequency on Leagaune, who returned marked after finishing second to Sam Shorrock in the amateurs' chase at Fontwell yesterday.

Yesterday's fixture at Carlisle was abandoned because of frost and tomorrow's Windsor card has been lost to waterlogging.