Last month’s Cesarewitch took a thrilling turn as the Bet Small Win Big Syndicate celebrated an unexpected victory on Thursday evening in Cheltenham. Just hours before, their horse, Alphonse Le Grande, had been reinstated as the winner of the Newmarket handicap, setting the stage for a spirited reunion as the group gathered to enjoy the weekend’s racing festivities.

Originally a group of friends with a long-standing tradition of meeting up at Cheltenham's November event, the seven-man syndicate was delighted by the timing of this victory. “It’s hard to put into words—probably a mix of shock and pure joy,” shared syndicate leader Adrian McAndrew. Reflecting on the appeals panel's decision, which determined that Alphonse Le Grande’s jockey had used the whip only nine times, just under the limit, McAndrew added, “We’re just a group of lads, sports fans at heart. Winning and losing comes with it, and we’re happy as long as there’s fair play—and that’s what we got today. We’ll meet up in Cheltenham, and there’s definitely going to be a celebration.”

The initial disqualification had come three days post-race when the Whip Review Committee ruled apprentice jockey Jamie Powell had exceeded the permitted whip count by four strikes. This led to Alphonse Le Grande’s demotion, and the race was awarded to runner-up Manxman, ridden by Sean Dylan Bowen, who adhered to the whip rules. 

At the three-hour hearing on Thursday, debate centered on whether jockey Jamie Powell’s attempted tenth strike in the Cesarewitch had actually made contact. Powell confidently argued that the whip had missed its mark, and race footage seemed to support his claim, though the panel criticized the video quality as “not the best we’ve seen.”

Both parties agreed that, regardless of Powell’s intent, the whip did make light contact with the horse as he lowered his hand to his side after the downward motion. Louis Weston, representing the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), argued that this incidental touch counted as an official use, noting that the rules did not require a strike to be forceful to qualify as such.

Despite the BHA’s position, the panel ultimately ruled in favor of Alphonse Le Grande’s reinstatement, marking a significant and celebrated victory for the Bet Small Win Big Syndicate on the eve of Cheltenham’s November meet.