DOUBLE FEELS LIKE A TREBLE: LERNER

Frenchman's main win is ban halved on appeal, gets to ride Lim's Kosciuszko in last 2 Gl races

- Michael Lee

Marc Lerner bookended the Kranji meeting on Sept 1 with two wins, but to the French jockey, it probably felt more like three.

While July and Lim's Bighorn captured the first and last events of the 10-race programme, his good day at the office began even before he slipped into his riding boots - in the inquiry room. He was not clad in his silks then, but chances are he would regard that "win" as his day's highlight.

His appeal against the severity of a one-month suspension meted out for causing fellow jockey Zyrul Nor Azman's fall in Race 7 on Aug 25 was heard one hour before the first race.

At that juncture, had Lerner not taken such a step, he would miss the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1,800m) ride on Singapore superstar Lim's Kosciuszko on Sept 7, but would be back in time to ride him in the Group 1 Grand Singapore Gold Cup (2,000m) at Singapore's farewell meeting on Oct 5.

The odds were stacked against him, though. Appeals against penalties for a jockey falling in harm's way, are seldom upheld, even if Zyrul escaped unscathed.

But, firmly believing his indiscretion was not in the higher end of the scale of gravity for such racing the scale of gravity for such racing offences, Lerner went in with a strong defence plea.