Barry Geraghty announces appeal against 30-day ridng ban

Barry Geraghty is to appeal the 30-day ban he was issued by stewards at Limerick following his ride aboard Noble Emperor on Sunday.

The Gold Cup-winning jockey was hit with the suspension - which is due to begin on April 17 and would rule him out of riding at the Punchestown Festival - after finishing second aboard the Tony Martin-trained eight-year-old in the www.limerickraces.ie Handicap Hurdle.

Acting under Rule 212, which governs running and riding, the stewards were of the opinion Geraghty had failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing, banning him for 30 days, with the horse prevented from running for 60 days and Martin fined 3,000 euros.

Geraghty said: "I will be lodging an appeal and I now just have to wait on a date for it. That's all I have to say."