Racing: Piggott has stalls fright

LESTER PIGGOTT escaped serious injury when his mount, Polish Consul, reared up in the stalls before the start of the last race at Warwick yesterday. The jockey, who is 58 next month, was taken back up the course in an ambulance but then walked into the weighing room unaided.

Last night Piggott said his leg had hit the stalls structure when the colt reared, but that it would not stop him from riding at York this afternoon.

Another veteran jockey, Ernie Johnson, was less fortunate, however. Just prior to the final event at Folkestone, Johnson was thrown from Conbrio Star in the paddock and was being examined in hospital last night for a suspected broken collarbone.

At Redcar, Kevin Darley completed a 149-1 double on Efizia and Nitouche, taking his total of winners so far this season to 134. Darley switched to Efizia in the Scarborough Handicap when Mary Reveley's other intended runner, Essayeffsee, became a late withdrawal.

Darley, currently second in the rider's championship, is now 15 behind Pat Eddery, who scored a solitary success on Common Law at the same track.

Ascot's stewards will inspect the course at 8.30am tomorrow to determine whether racing can go ahead the following day. A further half-inch of rain early yesterday jeopardised the two-day fixture and Nicholas Beaumont, the clerk of the course, admitted: 'Racing must be considered extremely doubtful.'