The Irish Turf Club is to consider changing its rules to bring in Group One exemption for relatively minor suspensions in the wake of the Michael Kinane case. "I think the whole thing will be looked at all right when the dust settles on this case. We will be looking at all the issues arriving out of it," said Brian Kavanagh, the organisations chief executive. "It was discussed at the last stewards' meeting and will be discussed at the next stewards' meeting which is scheduled for the end of September."
This morning, Kinane's two-day ban he picked up for careless riding on Sophisticat at Leopardstown in July was finally confirmed by the Irish Turf Club's Appeals & Referrals Committee. The outcome of today's hearing was that Kinane's second appeal was dismissed and he forfeited his deposit. His ban will apply tomorrow and on Wednesday, which means he has succeeded in having the suspension deferred to a date when he will miss nothing of significance.
Kinane appealed against the original suspension which was due to take effect on July 27 and 28, and thus would have ruled him out of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot where he was to ride Galileo. When this appeal was dismissed, Kinane's legal team obtained an interim injunction in the Dublin High Court on the eve of the race, which allowed Kinane to take the winning ride on Galileo.
After the case was heard in the High Court last Wednesday, it emerged that the Appeals & Referrals Committee had not followed the agreed procedures. As a result the decision of the committee to uphold the two-day suspension was declared null and void and a reconvening of the appeal with different Turf Club personnel took place this morning.
After hearing evidence from Kinane, jockeys Johnny Murtagh, Declan McDonogh and Niall McCullagh and stewards' secretary Paul Hensey the committee decided the two-day ban should apply with immediate effect.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
