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FORTUNE OPTS FOR REFERRAL

Jimmy Fortune has decided to face the music at Portman Square and the prospect of a heavy suspension as a result of being found guilty of major irresponsible riding at Newmarket.

The jockey was mistakenly handed a five-day ban for this latest offence on Sunday.

However, under the Rules, Fortune should have been referred to Portman Square for his latest misdemeanour under the totting-up procedure as he had already passed the 15-day trigger point.

The stewards were unaware that Fortune had been banned for four days at Epsom last Friday, although news of the suspension should have been forwarded from Epsom through a computer system to the stewards' secretaries at Newmarket.

Fortune was given the chance of deciding his own fate by the Jockey Club on Monday.

And his agent Tony Hind today said: "Jimmy has acknowledged that a mistake has been made and he said 'I'll just go down there'."

The Jockey Club's press officer John Maxse said: "He's going to have it dealt with here on Monday.

"He's not riding on Monday so ideally the plan would be to hold the hearing in the afternoon and any ban would kick in on the Thursday after."

If Fortune had decided against facing the disciplinary committee any other breach of the interference rule between now and August 29th would see him referred to London anyway.

However, having the matter dealt with next week means Fortune's record will be wiped clean.