Michael Kinane's hopes of partnering Johannesburg in next week's Kentucky`Derby were finally ended today after a Jockey Club Disciplinary Committee hearing failed to overturn a seven-day suspension. The Portman Square hearing, which lasted for two hours, was attended by Kinane, his solicitor Andrew Coonan, and fellow jockeys Pat Eddery and Richard Quinn.
Kinane was appealing against the ban he collected at Newmarket last Thursday when he was found guilty of irresponsible riding of a major nature aboard first-past-the-post Sahara Desert in the Boadicea Conditions Stakes. For such an offence, the stewards have the option of handing out a ban of between five and 10 days and a reduction of just one day in the punishment would have been enough to give Kinane the green light for the ride on Johannesburg on Saturday week.
But after hearing evidence from the three jockeys and viewing video recordings of the race, the committee found that Kinane had manoeuvred to his right at a time when Eddery was alongside him and when it should therefore have been obvious to him that interference was the result .
Filed by Laura Reynolds
