The nine jockeys banned for failing to pull up during a race that was declared void at Wetherby last Wednesday have failed in their appeal against ten-day suspensions.
Sixteen-times champion Tony McCoy and leading riders Graham Lee, Paddy Brennan and Denis O’Regan, were among those found guilty of failing to stop after a yellow flag was shown due to a stricken horse on the course.
Danny Cook, Jonathon Bewley, Alexander Voy, Brian Hughes and Brian Toomey were the other riders who continued to race.
The British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel upheld the bans – to run from October 26 to November 4 – at an appeal hearing in London yesterday.
Ironically, the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, plus the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, are two major races the jockeys will miss.
Solicitor Rory Mac Neice, representing the Wetherby jockeys, said: “The evidence showed riders were having to react to conflicting signals.
“They reacted to the last signal, which was two clearly deployed chequered flags, which are there to warn riders of a hazard, but not that the race should be stopped. We wait to hear the reasons given from the BHA disciplinary panel.”
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