Dispute over which jockey caused interference allows Joe Anderson to win appeal against riding ban

A successful streak for jockey Joe Anderson continued on Thursday when he won an appeal against a four-day riding ban. 

The 28-year-old, a winner on four of his eight rides this month, persuaded a disciplinary panel to rescind a ban issued for improper riding by the Huntingdon stewards a fortnight ago, his main argument being that any interference was the fault of a rival rider.

Anderson became, in his words, "the meat in the sandwich" at the top of the straight while riding the eventual winner, Livingonaprayer, in a mares' novices' hurdle. He had made a move to go between the leader, Sumatran Tiger, ridden by Finn Lambert, and Uptown Lass on Anderson's outside, ridden by Charlie Hammond.

Livingonaprayer ended up making contact with Uptown Lass, for which the stewards blamed Anderson, ruling he had angled his mount left-handed when it ought to have been obvious that interference would be caused. The BHA's Charlotte Davison told the panel that the ruling should be upheld, accusing Anderson of forcing his way through a gap that had never been big enough.

But Anderson pointed at Lambert's riding, saying the 25-year-old had allowed his mount to drift left on an unrailed section leading to the second-last hurdle. Lambert's mount, having been on the inside rail around the final bend, eventually jumped the hurdle at the third panel from the inside.

Anderson told the hearing: "Not trying to shift the blame but I think it comes down to Mr Lambert coming out so far left." He said his immediate fear had been that his filly might end up on the heels of Lambert's mount, which was why he had made such an effort to steer her left towards Uptown Lass.

Presenting Anderson's case, solicitor Rory Mac Neice said he did not claim that Lambert, who was not present at Thursday's hearing, had broken any rules. But he insisted there had been room for Anderson to make his manoeuvre, and it was not Anderson's fault that the gap had then closed.

After deliberating for an hour, chair Fiona Horlick KC indicated the panel was not convinced about where any blame should lie, saying: "The BHA have not established who caused the interference. That being so, this appeal is allowed."

Anderson told the Racing Post: "I'm delighted to get it overturned." As a regular rider for the in-form Jamie Snowden yard, he said it was "great to be available if needed" in the days to come when he would otherwise have been suspended.

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