OISIN Murphy faces an potential ban after failing a routine breath test at Salisbury yesterday where he had four booked rides and to aggravate his misery missed out on two winners.

Murphy was stood down for the day and had his case forwarded to racing's governing body, the British Horseracing Authority.

Murphy, 23, was asked to take the test by the clerk of the scales Robert Cuthbert on his arrival at the track and found to be over the prescribed limit which is lower than for drivers. The rider, the official and sampling officer were then intervewed by the stewards.

Murphy, who principally rides for Kingsclere trainer Ian Balding and is the retained rider for Qatar Racing, had his case immediately referred to the BHA's head office.

The Irishman, who had ridden 96 winners from 432 rides this season, had been ten ahead in the jockeys champtionship until his nearest pursuer Silverstre de Sousa reduced the deficit on northern raider Praxeology in the six furlong novice stakes.

His loss was David Probert's gain when Tribal Craft romped home in the ten furlong maiden.

"Most unfortunate," Probert remarked of the situation. "Not a nice thing to happen."

And Murphy, who has a clutch of enviable engagements at Royal Ascot this week, also lost out on Maygold who relished the soft ground in the closing five furlong handicap, drawing clear in the final furlong under Liam keniry.

There was a dramatic finish to the feature race when Snazzy Jazzy deadheated with Archer's Dream in the £50,000 Cathedral Stakes, all the more remarkable as trainer Clive Cox had experienced a similar situation with Wise Counsel at Sandown 24 hours earlier.

"It's better than finishing second," quipped Cox. "I was very proud of that as he was giving the other horse 17lbs which was quite a test. We were finishing better and I thought we had got up to win but I was standing at a bad angle."

Archer's Dream had stepped up markedly in class, his hitherto best performance having come in winning a minor race at Yarmouth last month, and jockey George Wood was unsure of the outcome. "But she's a nice filly and when she learns to race properly, she will be okay."

George Bass had words of praise for his guvnor Mick Channon after finally riding his first winner on his 35th attempt when Jungle Juice virtually led all the way in the six furlong apprentice race.

"He's a very fair man," enthused the 19-year-old. "He told me if I worked hard and kept my head down, he would give rewards back. He's been very good to me and I have learnt a lot from him."

The Essex teenager left school to join Newmarket-based David Simcock before switching to the Berkshire yard of the former Southampton and Englasnd international in February to further his career.

"We went into the race very open minded and if there was no pace, I would go on. When I asked her to pick up, she did it well and galloped on well to the line. She's very game."

And on Father Day, a horse called Daddy's Girl had to win - and so she did, never headed in the seven furlong fillies handicap.