Quinn lodges appeal

Mick Quinn has lodged his expected appeal against the two-and-a-half year ban he received last week after being accused of neglecting three of his horses last winter, the Jockey Club have confirmed.

'An appeal has been lodged. The suspension dates have been put on hold until the appeal has been heard and the process of for setting up the appeal is already underway,' said Jockey Club spokesman John Maxse today.

Quinn admitted a breach of rule 51 of the Rules of Racing when he appeared in front of the Disciplinary Committee last Thursday, but had expected the outcome to be nothing worse than a fine.

The appeal which will be a complete re-hearing will not be heard for at least three weeks.

'I think Quinn is going to change his legal representation. He might bring in a Queen`s Counsel which would mean time for their new legal representation to familiarise themselves with the case for the defence.

'Likewise if they brought in a Queen`s Counsel, we would have to bring one in on our side to balance the representation.'

The case will be heard by the Jockey Club`s new appeal board which was created in March to comply with European legislation on human rights and is chaired by an independent judge or barrister.

It has sat once before - last month - when Neville Callaghan lodged an appeal over the Stg£1,000 fine he received over the running of Port St Charles at Brighton on May 3rd. The horse was given a 40-day suspension.

'The appeal board is comprised of an independent legally qualified chairman. There are four possible chairmen, one is a former High Court judge and the other three are QCs,' added Maxse.

'The two supporting members of the committee are Jockey Club members but are not involved in any other committee or stewarding.'

Quinn was on a week`s holiday in Tenerife earlier this year when someone complained to the RSPCA that three of his horses - Winsome George, Arab Gold and Zola - were in an emaciated condition while wintering in apaddock about a mile from his stable.