Stakes high for Barry Geraghty as he appeals 30-day ban

Lights could be burning late at Turf Club HQ tonight when former champion jockey Barry Geraghty appeals a controversial 30-day ban picked up under ‘non-trier’ rules at Limerick earlier this month.

Geraghty’s case, along with trainer Tony Martin’s appeal against a €3,000 fine, and an appeal by legendary owner JP McManus against the 60-day ban from racing for his horse Noble Emperor, is set to start at 6.00 in the evening.

The referrals committee panel which will hear the case is to be chaired by Judge Tony Hunt. Turf Club officials are unable to predict how long the hearings will take but it is anticipated proceedings will proceed to a conclusion tonight.

Geraghty, McManus and Martin will be legally represented and it is understood that the jockey and trainer will also be represented by their own barristers. The Punchestown festival starts next week and for Geraghty to ride at the prestigious €2.6 million finale to the Irish National Hunt season, he will have to have his suspension quashed, or reduced to four or less days. There are four jumps fixtures scheduled for between now and Punchestown.

Severe penalty

Geraghty’s suspension for his ride on Noble Emperor at Limerick just over a fortnight ago is the most severe penalty handed out to a senior high-profile rider in modern times and left the jockey “shocked”.

Noble Emperor finished runner-up to Velocity Boy in a handicap hurdle after which the stewards decided Geraghty had breached Rule 212 “having failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to give his mount the full opportunity to win or obtain his best possible place”.

They also fined Noble Emperor’s trainer, Tony Martin, €3,000 under Rule 212, and suspended the McManus-owned horse for 60 days.

Renowned as one of the finest and most successful jump jockeys in Irish racing history, Geraghty is coming to the end of a first season as McManus’s retained jockey having stepped into the role after Tony McCoy’s retirement last year.

His 30-day suspension isn’t the most severe given to a jockey under ‘non-trier’ rules in recent years. In 2005, amateur rider Michael Purcell was banned for 50 days at Cork while conditional jockey Thomas Doran also picked up 50 days at Ballinrobe in 2013.

However 30 days for such a renowned and senior figure, who has won every major championship event at Cheltenham at least once, and the Aintree Grand National on Monty’s Pass in 2003, as well as landing the jockeys championship in 2000 and 2004, is unprecedented in modern times.

“Grossly disproportionate”

In 2008, Kevin Coleman was suspended for 50 days at Limerick under Rule 212. However he subsequently appealed the decision on the grounds that it was “grossly disproportionate” and the penalty was reduced to 28 days by the appeals panel. Coleman also paid a €3,000 fine.

Among other professionals, Shay Barry was given a 21-day suspension under Rule 212 at Gowran in 2013 while David Casey was banned for 14 days at Killarney in 2010.

In December the McManus owned horse, Shantou Ed, had a 30-day suspension imposed under ‘non-trier’ rules at Fairyhouse’s Winter Festival lifted on appeal to the referrals committee after new veterinary evidence came to light.

Shantou Ed’s trainer Pat Fahy also successfully appealed a €1,000 fine and jockey Alan Crowe a seven-day ban.

A 30-day suspension for the Tony Martin trained Bobbie’s Diamond, imposed by the Fairyhouse stewards after the same race Shantou Ed ran in, was also successfully appealed in December when new veterinary evidence came to light.

Martin had a €1,000 fine lifted and Bobbie’s Diamond’s jockey, Philip Enright, successfully appealed a seven-day ban.