Scots jockey Ian Mongan announces retirement

SCOTTISH jockey Ian Mongan, closely associated with the late Sir Henry Cecil in recent years, has announced his retirement.

The 34-year-old rode his first winner on Harik in an amateur riders’ handicap at Lingfield in 1998 and hit a career-high in the saddle in 2011 when landing the Juddmonte International on the Cecil-trained Twice Over.

Mongan tweeted: “Officially hung my boots up today! Had some amazing times and met a lot of great people but it’s time for a change.”

Mongan last week rode a winner for Lady Cecil on her first day with a licence following the death of her husband, as Songbird won at Yarmouth. Mongan was a key player behind the scenes at the Cecil yard and was a regular partner for Bullet Train as he acted as pacemaker in some of Frankel’s biggest moments on the track. Paying her tribute to Mongan, Lady Cecil said on the stable’s website: “Ian has been a great friend to Warren Place over recent seasons and I know that Henry very much valued his input. Ian has shown a real commitment to us and we will miss his help.”

lTrainer Ian McInnes has been disqualified for three years after being found guilty of running a horse after it had undergone a prohibited procedure. The East Yorkshire handler was accused of running Commando Scott nine times after a biaxial neurectomy to his right hind plantar digital nerve in July 2008. The procedure involves severing nervous connection to the lower leg and is banned on welfare grounds. A British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel concluded that McInnes ran the horse contrary to the rules and that he failed to conduct his business of training racehorses with reasonable care and skill.