Kinane ruled out of Kentucky bid

Michael Kinane`s hopes of partnering Johannesburg in next week`s Kentucky Derby were finally ended today after a Jockey Club Disciplinary Committee hearing failed to overturn a seven-day suspension.

The Portman Square hearing, which lasted for two hours, was attended by Kinane, his solicitor Andrew Coonan, and fellow jockeys Pat Eddery and Richard Quinn.

Kinane was appealing against the ban he collected at Newmarket last Thursday when he was found guilty of irresponsible riding of a major nature aboard first-past-the-post Sahara Desert in the Boadicea Conditions Stakes.

The colt hampered Tumbleweed Charm (ridden by Eddery) and Western Verse (Quinn) inside the final furlong and was placed fifth with the race awarded to Nemo Fugat.

For such an offence, the stewards have 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 give Kinane the green light for the ride on Johannesburg on Saturday week.

But after hearing evidence from the three jockeys 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'.

Kinane argued that he had moved into a gap and that the interference was caused by accident when the colt inadvertently drifted right when asked to go on and win.

But the committee disagreed, dismissed the appeal and ordered Kinane`s deposit of Stg#400 to be forfeited.

Outside the hearing, Kinane was phlegmatic about the outcome of proceedings.

'I went to the toilet and by the time I got back they had reached their decision so it couldn`t have taken them that long,' he shrugged. 'One thing`s for sure, I won`t be suffering from jet lag on 1000 Guineas day!

'I`ll probably use some of the time off to go out to Germany for the second leg of the Manchester United game.

'Of course it`s a disappointment but it wasn`t to be and I`m worn out trying to explain it now. I don`t know who will be riding Johannesburg, there`s plenty of jockeys out there.'

The favourite to come in for the ride at Churchill Downs will now be American Jerry Bailey, whom trainer Aidan O`Brien had already booked to ride stable-mate Castle Gandolfo.

Kinane ruled out following the route he took last year to ride Galileo in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot, where solicitors secured a High Court injunction against another suspension.

'It`s a different case,' he said. 'That`s the end of the matter now.'