Reckless after new rider due to 21-day Kirby ban
UNBEATEN Norfolk Stakes winner, Reckless Abandon, will require a new jockey when bidding to complete a hat-trick next month after regular pilot, Adam Kirby was on Thursday slapped with a 21-day whip ban.
The gloss was knocked off Kirby's celebrations on finally opening his Royal Ascot account last week when becoming the first rider referred to the BHA since the latest modification of the whip regulations in March.
After hearing evidence and watching video recordings of the race, the disciplinary panel accepted Kirby's admission that he had used his whip above the permitted level and, as this was his fifth similar offence within six months, decided to impose a suspension covering the periods 6-14 July and 16-27 July.
Trainer Clive Cox, who plans to run Reckless Abandon next in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury on July 14, or the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Lafitte eight days later, said: "I'm afraid Adam won't be available for either race, but we haven't done anything about riding arrangements, we wanted to see how the hearing went first. It is a great shame. We will certainly miss Adam when he is out of action, he is a big asset to us."
