HORSE RACING: Michael Kinane, who won his first jockeys' championship 18 years ago, could be level pegging with Johnny Murtagh after the first race at Navan this afternoon.

This is a bizarre jockey line-up, in that the opposition to the 11-time flat champion consists exclusively of apprentices, all of whom have claims ranging from 3lb to 10lb.

Going against the fashion, Ger Lyons is putting Kinane up on Roisin's Star who led from half-way on her latest outing to beat Arctic Ice by a length over an extended five furlongs at Navan.

On an eight-race programme entirely given over to the flat this is just one of seven rides for Kinane, and while over night he has no mount in the Dermot Lennon World Show Jumping Championship Maiden, that may be rectified should second reserve Eckbeag get a run.

If not, then Murtagh may be the beneficiary through the Aga Khan's once-raced Hazarabad. By that stage in the afternoon Kinane could have pinched a one race lead thanks to the John Mulhern-trained Essex Street.

Now that Aidan O'Brien's two-year-olds are back on song, In The Limelight can open her winning account in the Fillies maiden.

Meanwhile, Murtagh has lodged an appeal against the two-day ban he received at the Curragh on Sunday.

The jockey has been suspended for October 24th and 26th, which currently rules him out of the Breeders' Cup and Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.

Murtagh studied a video of the handicap in which he rode Gotarapofahames, who was adjudged to have hampered several unplaced horses after veering left in the final furlong.

At Leicester yesterday, Murtagh spoke of his hopes of riding a smart two-year-old, New South Wales, for John Oxx in the Racing Post Trophy.

He said: "I've appealed because the horse, who has arthritis in a joint and wore a pricker, didn't give me any chance and ducked sharply to the left. When I let him go I didn't have time to do anything to correct this."