Maguire could miss cheltenham
Kilmessan jockey Jason Maguire could miss next month's Cheltenham Festival after being given a 14-day ban under the 'non-triers' rule at Ludlow on Wednesday.
Maguire finished seventh on the Ben Pauling-trained Born To Succeed in the Onny Maiden Hurdle, but stewards banned him on the grounds that the horse was being schooled and conditioned on the racecourse.
Maguire is due to be banned from Wednesday 4th March, which means he wouldmiss the four-day Festival starting on Tuesday 10th March.
'I have no comment to make but I'm definitely going to appeal,' Maguire said after receiving news of the ban.
Trainer Hauling was also found guilty and fined £3,000. He too said he would appeal against the decision.
Born To Succeed was banned from running in any race for 40 days.
The British Horseracing Authority said in a statement: 'The rider stated that his instructions were to drop the gelding in and get him settled and then to do his best work late on.
'He further added that the gelding became very tired at the entrance to the home straight, was not quick enough to take any gaps and did not jump well in the closing stages. He therefore felt it prudent to keep a good hold of the horse.
'The trainer confirmed that the rider had ridden in accordance with his instructions and added that Born To Succeed is an extremely nervous horse at home.'
If Maguire's appeal is unsuccessful it will mean he will miss the Cheltenham Festival for the second year in a row after he was forced to sit out last year's blue riband event after picking up a serious injury in a fall at Stratford on the eve of the 2014 Festival.
The 34-year-old was left with a fractured sternum and a bleeding liver after he got kicked by another horse following his fall from Scots Gaelic.
Having been airlifted to University Hospital Coventry, Maguire was put in a medically induced coma while the full extent of the internal damage was established.
The Grand National-winning rider was later moved to Gloucester Hospital to be closer to his family before being allowed to complete his recovery at home.