Murtagh ruled out of Irish Derby

Johnny Murtagh was today ruled out of Sunday week`s Budweiser Irish Derby by suspension.

The jockey, who memorably won the Curragh Classic on Sinndar last year, has been handed a five-day ban by the Royal Ascot stewards, which starts a week on Friday.

Murtagh was punished for his riding of Mahsusie in the Coventry Stakes on Tuesday. In an inquiry held over to this afternoon, he was found guilty of irresponsible riding for causing interference to Triple Play, who in turn interfered with Rock of Gibraltar soon after the start of the six-furlong race.

Murtagh`s compatriot Jamie Spencer also misses the Irish Derby due to a ban imposed for riding offences on the Coventry winner Landseer.

Murtagh later said he would review a film of the race before deciding whether to appeal.

'I`m completely sick,' he said. 'It`s the best three day meeting in Ireland. I want to have a good look at the race again before I decide on an appeal.'

Stewards secretary Capt. Patrick Hibbert-Foy gave Murtagh a video of the race and said: 'Just after the marker poles, 100 yards from the start, Murtagh made his move towards the rails and as a result carried Gerald Mosse on Triple Play to the left who had nowhere to go.

'Mosse looked left and realised he had Mick Kinane on Rock Of Gibraltar on his left and he could not avoid it, and as a result caused interference to Kinane who was one off the rails.

'It was deemed to be irresponsible of a major nature by Murtagh and going through the four questions the stewards could answer `yes` to putting the safety of another rider in serious jeopardy, and that that particular rider had to take evasive action.

'Five days is the minimum for irresponsible riding of a major nature.'