Jimmy Fortune will miss the biggest week of Classic trials after being hit with a seven-day ban for riding an ill-judged race at Brighton today.
Fortune, whose career over the last two years has been littered with spells of suspensions, was red carded after riding Neville Callaghan`s Port St Charles into a strong-finishing third in the six-furlong Thoroughbred Investments Handicap.
His ban, which begins on the day of the Lingfield Derby and Oaks trials, takes in the entire Dante meeting at York (May 12th, 14th-19th).
Fortune, who told the stewards his instructions were to cover the horse up and come with a late run, was initially undecided about an appeal.
'I don`t know,' he said. 'The horse is a four-year-old maiden. What more can you say.'
Callaghan, who escaped any censure, said: 'I feel very sorry for Jimmy Fortune. He`s got seven days for nothing. The horse has to be ridden that way and what I ought to do is bring him back here next time for this 0-70 maiden and run him from the front to prove my point. But you just don`t do that.
'Jimmy`s suffered and now he`s going to miss the Dante. And he`s done nothing wrong.
'They haven`t done me, and they haven`t banned the horse. But if they had they`d hear all about it, I can tell you!'
Craig Williams got off the mark for the season with a 90-1 double on Gold Guest and Fast Foil in the first two races.
The Australian`s boss Mick Channon, who was taking his score to three, trained both winners.
