Pat Eddery reached his seasonal century at Windsor yesterday but his championship hopes received a jolt when he was handed a three-day ban for careless riding.

The reigning champion hit the ton for the 24th time in the last 25 years when scoring on Salmon Ladder and Risque Lady.

But sandwiched between those successes came his suspension when second on Lasham in the Earley Nursery. Lasham led from the gate but was under a stern left-hand drive over two furlongs out.

The colt, trained by Neville Callaghan, drifted to his right and at the furlong marker caused top weight Fayrana, who was challenging against the stands' rails, to be snatched up by Michael Hills.

Though Lasham, who finished one and a quarter lengths off the winner Caversfield, was allowed to keep his place Eddery was not spared and is ruled out from August 27th to 29th inclusive..

An annoyed Eddery said: "I don't know what I was meant to have done. I stopped riding, put my stick down and straightened him out."

Michael Hills was equally at odds over the decision. He said: "I thought that was very harsh. If anything it was my fault and I stood up for Pat as much as I could at the inquiry."

Eddery reached his ton when delivering Peter Harris's newcomer Risque Lady from the supposedly no-hopers berth in stall one to gain a short head victory over Royal Shyness, partnered by his brother Paul, in the EBF Fillies' Maiden Stakes.