A FURIOUS jockey has launched an appeal after getting hit with a massive ban for winning a race.
Top class rider Vincent Ho was deemed not to have ridden his mount out fully when dead-heating at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
Punters thought Ho appeared to ask his four-year-old gelding for plenty as he motored down the middle of the track.
But stewards took a dim view of his finish, believing he should have won rather than dead-heating with Lucky Archangel, who was ridden by 7lb claimer Angus Chung.
Both jockeys won connections £59,000 in the Class 3 handicap and in the in-running comment said Ho’s ride ‘stayed on strongly in the final furlong’.
Stewards disagreed though, slapping Ho with a five-week ban after noticing he put his whip away just before the line.
A statement from stewards read: “Ho was found guilty of a charge under Rule 100(2) in that he failed to ride his mount out all the way to the end of the race to the satisfaction of the stewards.
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“Having considered precedent penalties, jockey Ho’s record in relation to like offences and the nature of the breach in circumstances where his mount dead-heated for first placing, the stewards believed the appropriate penalty was for Ho’s licence to ride in races be suspended for a period to commence on Wednesday, 18 October 2023 and to expire on Monday, 20 November 2023.”
Ho immediately appealed the severity of the ban – as exasperated punters hit out at what they thought was a ‘farcical’ decision.
Top UK-based jockey Neil Callan said it was ‘unbelievable’.
While one punter commented: “I’ve never seen anything like that. Suspended for a dead-heat?”
Another said: “Makes no sense!”
One post read: “Rubbish decision.”
While another commented: “Pathetic. Ridden out too vigorously if anything.”
Ho’s ban is set to kick in on October 18 and expire on November 20.
He has winnings of just under £1million from 30 rides so far this season.
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