Spencer ban saga continues

Jamie Spencer’s woes continued today after it emerged that he could have the four-day careless riding ban (May 3, 5, 6 and 7) he picked up at Navan on Saturday increased.

An appeal has been lodged against the leniency of the local stewards’ decision and, if the suspension is extended by at least two days, Spencer would miss the mount on Vodafone Derby favourite Yeats in the colt’s final prep race for the blue riband at Leopardstown on May 9.

Denis Egan, chief executive of the Irish Turf Club, explained: “Lady O’Reilly, who owns Sahara Sonnet, the horse ridden by Michael Kinane which fell in the race at Navan on Saturday, apparently as a result of Jamie Spencer’s manoeuvre, has lodged an objection to the decision of the acting stewards at Navan to only convict Jamie Spencer for careless riding.

“She felt that his actions were dangerous and has appealed that decision of the stewards as she’s entitled to under our rules.

“We are hoping to hear Lady O’Reilly’s appeal on Thursday morning at 9.30 at the Turf Club, and that will decide whether or not his Navan suspension will remain at four days or whether it will be increased.

“If it remains at four days it will be as given on May 3, 5, 6 and 7. If it’s increased it will be on days after May 7.”

There had been speculation yesterday that Spencer would miss the ride on Yeats, and possibly the start of the Dante meeting at York, after he found himself in hot water with the French authorities when Antonius Pius finished runner-up to American Post in the Prix de Fontainebleau.

His mount was found to have been the cause of scrimmaging inside the final furlong and was subsequently demoted to last of four, with Spencer handed a four-day ban.

He then picked up a two-day ban for his ride on Esperanto in the following Prix Greffuhle after causing interference as his mount occupied the runner-up position behind Millemix.

Esperanto was put back to fifth.

The stewards in France said the two bans would run concurrently and insisted he would be on the sidelines on May 4, 5, 6 and 7.

That caused immediate confusion in Ireland as, if the weekend’s events had happened in reverse, one ban would have started after the other one had finished.

But clarifying the situation, Egan said: “There is an international racing agreement in place which says that the new suspension shall begin at the commencement of the day following the completion of any period of suspension.

“So we contacted France this morning expecting them to change the dates they had given him to May be 8, 9, 10 and 11, only to discover that they do not have the power in the rules to do that, so in other words the two suspensions are going to run parallel.

“But as a result of Lady O’Reilly’s appeal the suspension imposed by the Navan stewards has been lifted for now.”

Until the Navan ban is confirmed, Spencer is currently banned on May 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 with the first day a result of the rider’s appeal against the suspension he picked up at Leopardstown earlier this month being dismissed at the Turf Club Rooms at the Curragh today.

The Appeals and Referrals Committee met to consider Spencer’s appeal, which was against the severity of the decision of the local stewards on April 18 to suspend him for one day after he was found guilty of using his whip improperly and with excessive frequency on Royal Tigress, the short-head winner of the Leopardstown 1000 Guineas Trial.

Having considered evidence from Spencer and the filly’s trainer Aidan O’Brien, the committee disallowed the appeal and confirmed the suspension date as May 2.

Necklace is as low as 10-1 with totesport for Sunday’s Newmarket Classic.