Conditional rider hit with 14-day suspension and Charles Byrnes horse banned for 60 days in non-trier incident at Sligo

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Conditional jockey Tom Kelly has been banned for 14 days for failing to make a real and substantial effort to achieve the best possible placing on a Charles Byrnes-trained runner at Sligo on Tuesday evening.

Kelly partnered Glin Road Boy on his handicap and stable debut in the 2m1½f handicap hurdle for Byrnes. After opening up at 12-1, the five-year-old gelding drifted out to a starting price of 22-1 but ran an eye-catching race when getting up for second, beaten four lengths by the 11-4 favourite Timurshah.

• Watch the race replay here

The run caught the eye of the stewards, who held an inquiry into Glin Road Boy's effort. Kelly said his mount had made a gurgling noise throughout the race, but he felt he had done all he could to ride it to the line. 

However, the stewards disagreed and in addition to his 14-day suspension, the 7lb claimer was ordered to forfeit his riding fee, while Glin Road Boy was banned from running for 60 days.

Sligo: hosted a jumps card on Tuesday eveningCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The stewards' report said: "Tom Kelly stated that his instructions were to get his mount to finish out his race in the best possible position. He further stated that his mount jumped off a bit keen, took a while to settle, was gurgling and making a noise throughout the race. 

"He felt that at the back of the third-last he put his mount into the race to finish in the best possible position, and was satisfied he did all he could to ride his mount out to the line. When questioned as to why he did not pull up his mount in the circumstances given his report, Kelly stated that the horse was okay to continue. 

"Mr Cathal Byrnes, authorised representative of Charles Byrnes, confirmed the instructions given, said that the horse was fit, healthy and that he was perfectly happy with the ride up until the last hurdle, where he would have liked to have seen Kelly be a bit more forceful up to the line. 

"He further stated that in his previous runs with a different trainer his [Kelly's] charge had struggled to finish out his races and added that the horse does wear a cross noseband and makes a noise at home and would explore wearing one in future races."

The report added: "Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the stewards noted the explanation given by the trainer's authorised representative. They were, however, satisfied that Kelly was in breach of rule 212 A (ii) [been the subject of a genuine attempt to obtain from the horse timely, real and substantial efforts to achieve the best possible place]."

Kelly is the second jockey to have picked up a hefty ban on a Byrnes-trained runner recently. The trainer's son Philip was handed a 21-day suspension for dangerous riding and his winner was disqualified after his actions forced a rival to run out at Limerick last month.

Read more:

Philip Byrnes banned for 21 days and winner for father Charles disqualified after impeding main rival and forcing another to be carried out

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