Racing: Kinane loses appeal against Classic ban

The Jockey Club took little time yesterday to dismiss Michael Kinane's appeal which would have allowed him to partner Johannesburg in next week's Kentucky Derby. "I went to the toilet and by the time I got back they had reached their decision," a phlegmatic Kinane said afterwards.

Kinane was appealing against the ban he collected at Newmarket last week when he was found guilty of irresponsible riding of a major nature aboard Sahara Desert in the Boadicea Stakes. For such an offence, the stewards had 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 allow Kinane to ride Johannesburg a week today.

But after hearing evidence from Kinane and fellow jockeys Pat Eddery and Richard Quinn 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".

The disciplinary committee were sufficiently unimpressed by Kinane's appeal that they ordered that his deposit of £400 should be forfeited.

"I'll use some of the time off to go out to Germany for the second leg of the Manchester United game," Kinane said.