Decision on Pat Cosgrave’s appeal for six-month ban coming this week

The rider was hit with a six-month ban after he was found to have come off the rail on Anaerobio in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan Racecourse last month, reports Geoffrey Riddle.

Pat Cosgrove was hit with the lengthy ban after he was found to have come off the rail on Anaerobio in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan Racecourse last month. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

Pat Cosgrave will know whether his six-month suspension for improper riding will stand within the next week after the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) held his appeal hearing at their offices yesterday.

Cosgrave was in attendance at the Dubai offices, as was Thomas Crockett, his legal representative, and Paul Struthers, the chief executive of the Britain-based Professional Jockeys’ ­Association.

The ERA reserved its decision and undertook to determine the matter over the next seven days.

The ruling body said in a statement: “A report regarding the ERA Appeal Panel’s decision will be made available when a determination is delivered.”

The rider was hit with the lengthy ban after he was found to have come off the rail on Anaerobio in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan Racecourse last month.

He appeared to look back three times before stablemate Vercingetorix came through up the inside to win the Group 1 event.

The ERA found Cosgrave guilty of a blatant breach of rule 69(i) that relates to improper riding that contributes to a detrimental image of racing and imposed the suspension after an inquiry last month.

The ban has been reciprocated in all major racing jurisdictions around the world.

When Cosgrave lodged his appeal last month Struthers described the length of the ban as a “brutal penalty”.

“I think the bulk of the opinion in England is whether the rights or wrongs of him being found in breach that the penalty is just draconian, and that doesn’t even do it justice,” Struthers said.

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