A furious Michael Kinane reluctantly received his prize for being top jockey at York`s three-day Ebor meeting after being banned for six days for irresponsible riding.
Kinane, his face still full of anger, accepted a crystal bowl plus two cheques of #2500 each on behalf of the injured jockeys fund and the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund.
Yet just half-an-hour earlier, the York stewards suspended him for irresponsible riding of a major nature after finishing first past the post on Jardines Lookout in the Charles Heidsieck Melrose Rated Stakes.
They found that three and a half furlongs from the finish, he interfered with Mickley, who in turn interfered with Frangy. Both horses were unplaced.
The race was awarded to 40-1 shot Riddlesdown, trained by Sean Woods and ridden by Richard Hughes, with Romantic Affair promoted to second, Mana D`Argent third and Alrisha fourth.
Jardines Lookout, who had appeared to win on merit by three-quarters of a length, was disqualified and placed last.
Kinane fumed: 'It`s a crazy decision. It might have been careless but for the stewards to call it irresponsible is just ridiculous.'
His ban runs from September 2th to 7th inclusive and means he will miss the first two day of the Doncaster St Leger meeting. The Irish ace had begun the meeting in spectacular style with a treble on Tuesday, highlighted by Giant`s Causeway in the Juddmonte International.
Connections of Jardines Lookout were as angry as Kinane.
Trainer Alan Jarvis said: 'We ran Acker Wood earlier in the week and he got absolutely murdered but the stewards did nothing.
'I haven`t seen the film yet, but the interference is said to have happened some way out and we`ve won on merit. It`s appalling.'
