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French champion jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot banned over rape charge

French racing's rulers France Galop served the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning rider with the suspension
Last Updated 15 May 2021, 12:07 IST

French champion jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot will miss Sunday's French Guineas meeting at Longchamp after being served with a three-month ban over rape allegations.

French racing's rulers France Galop served the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning rider with the suspension on Friday.

It followed talks with Boudot who was charged on Wednesday by French public prosecutors with the rape of a female rider at Cagnes-sur-Mer in February.

Boudot denies the charge.

Another jockey, Pierre Bazire, 23, has been charged for failing to report a crime and has also been banned.

France Galop in a statement announced: "Even though the two jockeys remain presumed innocent, the current criminal proceedings, the seriousness of the allegations and the fact of bringing racing into disrepute, as well as regarding the implications to the betting market, the stewards have, as a precautionary measure, suspended the said jockeys' licence for a duration of three months."

Boudot is accused of raping a 25-year-old woman on the night of February 17 on France's Cote d'Azur.

The 28-year-old, French champion in 2015, 2016 and 2020, is also being investigated for a second allegation of rape, which he also denies, dating back to 2015.

In this case he has been named as a person of interest, Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the prosecutor at Senlis north of Paris announced on Wednesday.

As in the February case the plaintiff says she was drugged before being sexually assaulted.

Boudot was detained for questioning on Monday, and released 48 hours later.

Under the terms of his 50,000 euro ($60,380) bail Boudot is banned from entering Chantilly's Oise region.

One of Europe's top jockeys Boudot won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2019 on the Andre Fabre-trained Waldgeist, denying Enable a historic third win in the Longchamp feature.

He enjoyed a stellar 2020 season, his major wins including the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and two Breeders Cup races, as well as ending the year with his third 'Cravache d'Or' title as champion jockey.

He won the 2019 French 2,000 Guineas on Persian King, and will be the noticeable absentee at Sunday's 2021 edition of the colts' classic at Longchamp.

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(Published 15 May 2021, 11:59 IST)

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