Updated: Wednesday, 18th November, 2009 4:56pm

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Carberry facing a stint on sidelines

by Conall Collier

Meath jockey Paul Carberry may appeal the 30-day (race days) ban which was imposed last week by the Turf Club for failing a breath test at Naas on Saturday, 31st October.

The former champion jockey was handed the hefty ban for a second offence and he was also fined €5,000.

The ban will apply from Wednesday of next week (25th November) to Sunday, 24th January although the Meath jockey will be able to ride outside Ireland on days when there is no racing here.

"I'm still undecided whether or not I will appeal the severity of the ban, but I have to make a decision this week," Carberry told the Meath Chronicle on Tuesday.

There was better news for Carberry at Punchestown at the weekend where he was on the mark for his boss Noel Meade with Jered.

Jered opened his account over fences after he ran out a four-length winner of a beginners chase.

Andrew Lynch followed up on his win at Cheltenham on Friday when he partnered Sizing Europe to a hat-trick of wins over fences after he landed a novice chase by a comfortable six lengths

The Gerry Keane-trained Steviemac, a point-to-point winner last year, won a novice hurdle at the Kildare track on Saturday where Roger Loughran and Action Master, backed from 20/1 to 10/1, won a juvenile hurdle.

The highlight on Saturday was the victory of Dunguib in the Ballymaloe Country Relish Hurdle under Brian O'Connell. One of the owners of Dunguib is Liz Lawlor, a member of the Smith family from Rathmore, Athboy.

Nina Carberry was also on the mark at Cheltenham on Friday when she renewed her partnership with Garde Champetre and won the Cross Country Chase.

On the flat at Dundalk on Friday night Joanna Morgan saddled the first two home in the Listed Cooley Fillies Stakes as Fourpenny Lane wore down San Sicharia in the final furlong to give Johnny Murtagh a double.

There was a sting in the tail for Murtagh who received a one-day ban for careless riding following an incident early in the straight .

That ban will rule him out of the last day of the season on Friday, 27th November when he could be crowned champion jockey for 2009.

Dunboyne trainer Luke Comer completed a quick double when jockey Robbie Walsh, who partnered his first winner aboard Bashkirov for Comer at the track on Wesdnesday night, repeated the feat on Friday night.

The son of Galileo, which was sixth in last year's Irish Derby at the Curragh when trained by Aidan O'Brien, hit the front two furlongs out but had to battle as he was briefly headed by Timoca at the furlong pole.