Racing: Dunwoody's appeal fails

RICHARD DUNWOODY begins a six-day ban for irresponsible riding today after last night losing an appeal against the suspension. The champion jump jockey left Portman Square 'deeply disappointed' by the Jockey Club disciplinary committee's decision to confirm the ban which runs from 7-12 September inclusive.

He was backed by jockeys Peter Hobbs and Sean Curran, who gave evidence at the appeal. But after three and a half hours the committee ruled that his mount Kayfaat had caused interference in a hurdle race at Newton Abbot on 29 August.

Dunwoody, three behind his great rival Adrian Maguire with 22 wins in this season's tussle for the jump jockeys' championship, is now bound to slip further adrift.

He said afterwards: 'I am deeply disappointed. Incidents of this nature happen quite frequently in jump racing and I believe that if this decision were to be applied on all those occasions then the number of stewards' inquiries and suspensions in racing would rise so dramatically as to be totally unworkable.' Dunwoody had five booked rides at Exeter today but replacements were last night being found.