Racing: Jenks banned under the `non-trier' rule

TOM JENKS narrowly avoided missing the ride on the Grand National winner, Earth Summit, again yesterday. Riding at Bangor, the jockey was handed a five-day "non-triers" ban - which begins one racing day after Earth Summit's return to action in the Rehearsal Chase at Chepstow on 5 December.

Jenks missed Earth Summit's Grand National win due to injury but was back on board when the gelding took the Becher Chase at Aintree last week.

He was penalised yesterday for his riding of the Martin Tate-trained Two Lords, who ran on well in the latter stages of the selling hurdle to finish fifth behind Prussia.

The stewards' secretary, William Nunneley, said; "The horse was never asked for sufficient effort or ridden to obtain the best possible placing. He was dropped out behind and ran on to be beaten two and a half lengths for fourth place under tender handling and it was a straightforward case of schooling and conditioning.

"Mr Tate was fined pounds 750, Tom Jenks suspended for five days and the horse for 30 days."

Tate said: "I broke the rules and I have got to pay the penalty. The horse has a history of breaking blood vessels and we wanted to get him round today."

Soaked equalled the 20th Century record of nine handicap wins in a year at Lingfield yesterday, with Sihafi, who is also on the nine mark, back in seventh. Soaked could race for the outright record of 10 wins at Southwell on Tuesday.