Cut in jockeys’ ban for Perth incident

Suspension reduced after appeal hearing

Jockeys Sean Quinlan, Stephen Mulqueen and Derek Fox have had the 10-day bans imposed at Perth last week reduced to two days following an appeal hearing.

The trio each received the punishment after failing to pull up during a voided three-mile novice handicap chase.

Johnny Go had fallen at the first fence and ran loose before coming down on the run-in. He was being treated while the race was being run and suffered a fatal injury.

‘Stop-race’ procedures were put into place by the racecourse executive while Johnny Go was being attended to behind screens near the finishing line, with the race subsequently declared void.

But Quinlan, rider of first-past-thepost Red Giant, Fox aboard Miss Joeking – the only other finisher – and Mulqueen, who was unseated from Here Comes Love after the final fence, appeared to ignore the ‘stop-race’ flag waved to raise attention to the stricken horse.

At a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing in London, the jockeys were still found in breach but had their penalties reduced to the minimum of two days.

Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys’ Association, said: “I don’t doubt it was the correct decision to void, but I think this is the right time for every course to review their ‘stoprace’ procedures.

“Giving jockeys eight seconds to react is not appropriate, as we saw when Stephen’s mount shied away from the screens and unshipped him.

“There’s no point dwelling; it’s a great result for the jockeys and they’ve been able to move their days to when there is no jump racing in the north so it should not prove too costly.”

. . . this is the right time for every course to review their ‘stop-race’ procedures. PAUL STRUTHERS