“WILD scenes” unfolded at Lingfield Racecourse on Monday morning as a 28-1 outsider finished “half the track” ahead of the other four runners – whose jockeys were all hit with bans.

Certain Style, who has never won a race in his sixteen starts, finished 22 lengths ahead of the field under Tyrese Cameron in the Apprentice Handicap.

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An investigation by the stewards after the race confirmed that the four jockeys behind had not taken all permissible measures to win the race.

They were hit with a ten-day ban, although former jockey Fergus Sweeney said Matt Chapman, Sun Racing columnist that if they had been more experienced, the ban would have been much longer.

Chapman, who summed up the debacle in an interview with Sky Sports Racing, said: “The other four jockeys clearly misjudged things.”

Sweeney responded: “We bring in all the jockeys, listen to their testimonials and ask the relevant questions.

“We are deliberating normally.

“We found that the four jockeys had not taken all authorized measures and, as a result, they all received ten days.

“But they are apprentices and they are learning. Apprentice races are there for them to learn.

“With a more experienced pilot we would end up in higher daytime bans.”

Although the four-year-old winner, trained by Laura Mongan, earned less than £3,000 during his career, punters were blown away by the performance.

They took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to let off steam.

One said: “Group horse running in learning disability.”

Another added: “Is that Frankel?

While other fans took the opportunity to attack the four trainees lagging behind.

One said: “An apprentice’s handicap – and the last four should remain apprentices for a long time!”

One commented: “This usually happens during all-weather winter races. One stranger rushes in and the others don’t make any effort until it’s too late. This should be addressed ‘an investigation.’

Another said: “This is an absolute joke: these four people in the back should get a long ban and then go back to school.”

One added: “Embarrassing for the sport.”

Jockeys who made an “embarrassing” error of judgment can take slight comfort in knowing they are not the first to make the error at Lingfield.

The Surrey circuit has seen some unusual races in recent years.

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