Brown successful in appeal

The Jockey Club Disciplinary Committee has quashed trainer Gary Brown`s fine after an appeal hearing today.

Brown and jockey Victoria Roberts were both appealing against punishments imposed over the running and riding of Sir Ninja at Uttoxeter on April 2nd.

The local stewards found Roberts to be in breach of rule 157 where, in the opinion of the stewards, she failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing with the intention of concealing the true ability of the horse, and gave her a 12-day suspension.

Brown was fined £2000 and Sir Ninja was suspended from running for 40 days after the trainer was judged to have breached rule 155 (ii) regarding his riding instructions to Miss Roberts.

The committee heard evidence from Miss Roberts, Brown and Mr Hyams, a representative of Sir Ninja`s owner, as well as considering reports from Brown`s vet and blacksmith.

They also viewed the race in question and recordings of the gelding`s previous runs.

After hearing all the evidence, the committee found Miss Roberts not to be in breach of rule 157 but to be in breach of Rule 158 in that she failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that the gelding was given the chance to obtain the best possible placing.

The rider was instead handed a nine-day ban, from April 30th to May 10th, while the committee dismissed Brown`s fine and the horse`s suspension.

In a separate hearing, Jamie Spencer was found guilty of improper riding and in breach of Jockey Club instruction H9 headed 'Use of the Whip' for his ride on Mickley at Warwick on April 10th.

The two-day ban imposed by local stewards was upheld after appeal and Spencer will sit out the action on April 20th and 22nd and his deposit money was forfeited.

In the final hearing of the day, Patrick Aspell was cleared of any wrongdoing in the ride he gave Billy Nomaite at Carlisle on March 30th.

The rider was referred to the Jockey Club stewards by the officials at Carlisle under instruction H9 concerning his use of the whip.

The committee found Aspell not to be in breach of the instruction after deciding the video evidence was inconclusive but the rider has been instructed to attend a day at the British Racing School.