McCoy wins appeal against ban

Tony McCoy has won his appeal against a 10-day riding ban for dropping his hands and losing third place on Batten Down at Bangor.

The champion jockey was cleared at a Jockey Club hearing today after receiving the punishment following the cantorsport.co.uk Novices’ Handicap Chase last Friday.

McCoy had been hard at work on the Jonjo O’Neill-trained six-year-old in the final mile but was held after taking the final fence, and when he momentarily eased up he was beaten a short head for third by the Tom Scudamore-ridden Finzi.

McCoy dismounted from Batten Down after the line and the horse was later reported to have broken a blood vessel.

The champion jockey said after today's hearing at Portman Square in London: "I'm very happy to have had the ban quashed.

“We had sufficient evidence to justify what I did on the day and that possibly made the job easier for the panel than it was for the stewards at the track.

“In that respect I understand why they reached the decision they did.”

His legal representative Rory Macniece added: “The panel were emphatic that Tony had acted absolutely correctly on the day.”