Rossa Ryan free to ride at York after 28-day suspension reduced on appeal

Rossa Ryan will be free to ride at the Ebor meeting after his 28-day suspension from Sandown was reduced to 10 day on appeal.

The on-course stewards ruled Ryan failed to “take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing on a horse that would have finished first” on Thunder Home last week, after the James Horton-trained two-year-old was beaten a nose in the Martin Densham & Peter Deal Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes.

Ryan had attempted to make all the running and having kicked clear with two furlongs to run, appeared to have the race in safe keeping, despite Jamie Spencer making rapid headway on John and Thady Gosden’s Zero Error.

However, just a matter of strides before the line Ryan’s urgency appeared to drop before picking up again and after a photo finish Zero Error was called the winner.

After listening to representations by Ryan and the British Horseracing Authority, the independent disciplinary panel concluded Thunder Home could have won rather than would have won, leading to the reduction in the ban.

Speaking to the Press Association after the hearing, Rory Mac Neice, representing Ryan, said: “The panel listened carefully and it was a fair hearing and the difference between would and could in terms whether the horse would have won is obviously important.

“Our submission was that there plainly wasn’t grounds for the certainty that would be required for a finding of ‘would’ and the panel agreed.”

Ryan’s suspension will commence on August 6 and as well as now being free for York, he will also be able to partner the unbeaten Orthodox for Clive Cox in the Prix Morny at Deauville on August 23.

However, Mac Neice admitted to some disappointment the ban was not completely overturned, highlighting both the variables of riding racehorses at the highest level and the type of scrutiny the profession brings.

He continued: “I was disappointed we were not able to be entirely successful, but a reduction in terms of the days involved was important for Rossa so one has to be pleased.

“It’s a difficult profession being a jockey and I hope people who judge riders at all levels have that in their mind.

“There’s no other sport like it. In football if a footballer misses an open goal there isn’t an enquiry. But racing is a highly regulated sport – which isn’t a criticism, it just is – and I do wonder sometimes about the penalty structure and if it reflects the job riders have to do.”

He went on: “It would have been great to get the ban completely dismissed and Rossa gave a very detailed account and explanation of his riding throughout the race and including the final furlong. Jockeys ride living animals, they are not riding motorbikes and it’s important the rules reflect that.

“Horse racing is unique for a reason and that is because humans and animals combine for a race and there is literally no other sport like it on earth. But what is important, and one always has to bear in mind, is that a horse has an independent mind and it’s important the rules reflect that.

“If it was an easy profession there would be a lot more jockeys than there are and it is a sport where very few are actually chosen and there is a reason for that – it’s difficult.

“Listening to Rossa’s account this morning was listening to that relationship with a horse. All jockeys understand horses and the top ones are also able to articulate what they are doing on a horse.”