The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) stewards on Monday suspended champion jockey Sandesh Akhade's riding licence for a period of one year. The decision was taken after an inquiry into the ride given by Sandesh to a horse named Dream Alliance on the last day of the Mahalaxmi racing season 2022-23 which concluded on Sunday, April 2. Ironically, jockey Sandesh had collected the champion jockey trophy on the same day, finishing the premier racing season with 26 wins from 104 mounts (25%). 

Dream Alliance, who was even-money favourite for the Bombay Club Multi-Million race, had lost to a 15-to-1 shot, Destroyer (trained by Kolkata-based trainer Patrick Quinn and ridden by Imran Chisty), who posted a start-to-finish victory in the seven-furlong event. Sandesh had settled Dream Alliance in mid-bunch, about six lengths behind the winner at the final turn, and though both Dream Alliance and Sandesh moved up very fast in the final two furlongs (23.76 seconds), Destroyer held on to win the race by half a length at the wire (see photo).