Sean Fox, the jockey who was accused of deliberately jumping off a horse at Fontwell earlier this year, was last night exonerated of breaking any rules at a Jockey Club disciplinary hearing.
The 33-year-old talked of his six months of hell as he left the hearing into his controversial ride on Ice Saint with his name cleared and a 21-day ban overturned.
He had hit the headlines when he came off at the ninth fence with a circuit still to run in the Cantor Sport Beginners' Chase on March 8.
At a stewards' inquiry on the day Fox was banned under rule 157 after he was adjudged to have intentionally stepped off the horse.
He always protested his innocence and launched an appeal which was finally successful at Portman Square in London yesterday, following a delay to allow security department investigations into the race to take place.
In the event, the appeal hinged on the simple premise of whether the disciplinary panel could be sure that Fox had deliberately stepped off the horse.
Video evidence of the incident naturally played a pivotal part in the outcome of the hearing.
Having seen the fall from five available angles, the panel accepted Fox's explanation that he had lost his balance and that Ice Saint had got in too close, dropped his hind legs on to the take-off board and twisted over the fence.
As he left the hearing, an emotional Fox said: "I have had six months of hell. Hopefully racing will accept me back."
Fox first took out a riding licence in 1988 and has won a total of 79 races in Britain as well as others in Europe.
Last season he had only two victories from 58 rides and to date is yet to have any mounts this season.
The Ice Saint incident made national headlines at the time as it came only a day after unconnected allegations against Kieren Fallon in the News Of The World.
Immediately after the race, bookmakers started to cry foul over the betting patterns, with one on-course layer claiming to have been told beforehand that the horse would not win.
Jockey Club security officers received a similar tip-off before the race.
However, the investigation found no evidence to link Fox to betting activity on the race.
With last night's verdict, Fox's role in those investigations has ended, although the race and the betting patterns on it may form part of other cases in the future.
Filed by Barry McEneaney
