Early present for Murphy

Champion owner David Johnson is "thrilled to bits" that Timmy Murphy will be able to ride Therealbandit in Sunday's King George VI Chase at Kempton. Murphy was only cleared to ride the Martin Pipe-trained runner after he had a seven-day ban reduced to just one day on appeal at the Jockey Club yesterday.

The jockey was initially due to start his ban on St Stephen's Day and he would have been out of action until New Year's Day after being found guilty of improper riding at Plumpton on December 13th.

Murphy's mount Semi Precious crashed out at the fourth-last fence and the rider reacted by throwing his whip at the horse.

However, the penalty was drastically reduced by the disciplinary panel yesterday and Murphy will now ride Johnson's star chaser. "I'm thrilled to bits and delighted that the stewards have had time to reflect on the decision, and they have given Timmy an early Christmas present!" said Johnson.

"It was probably difficult for the stewards on the day, much like a football referee. They have had time to watch replays and reflect on more evidence now and I'm pleased with the decision."

Johnson had secured the services of Richard Johnson for Therealbandit in case Murphy lost his appeal, but he will now switch to another of Pipe's runners, Tiutchev, in the race. "Richard was very kind to go on standby for the ride and I very much appreciated that, but obviously Timmy is back on the horse now," added Johnson.

Murphy's one-day suspension has now been deferred from St Stephen's Day until Monday December 27th as Jockey Club rules allow bans of less than two days to be changed if there is a Grade One race on that day.

Johnson, however, is still left with a rider dilemma as his top two-mile chaser Well Chief is due to tackle the skybet.com Castleford Chase at Wetherby on Monday. The owner added: "He's down to run but that now gives me a jockey problem as Timmy will be out that day. I have got runners at the other meetings and I wouldn't want to be scratching around for a jockey.

"Obviously AP (McCoy) would be the one as he rode the horse last year, but I think he is planning to go to Ireland that day, so we will have to see who is available."

Murphy himself was delighted with the result of his appeal. He said: "It was a very fair hearing. I was disappointed when I got a seven-day ban. I thought it was too much for what I'd done. I wasn't angry. It was only a suspension at the end of the day - no-one was killed or died.

"I couldn't have asked for a fairer hearing and it looks like I'll serve the punishment I deserved for the incident. I feel justice has been done and I got what I deserved."

Murphy believes racing's regulators are right in the way they approach such incidents. He said: "I think the Jockey Club are correct to do as much as they can (to protect horses), but at the end of the day a little common sense has to come into it.

"You can't do enough for the welfare of horses, which I think the Jockey Club do, but a small bit of sense has to come into it somewhere down the line."

Murphy's solicitor Rory Mac Neice was not surprised by the Jockey Club's decision to cut the ban. "I would have been astonished if the seven-day ban had stood. I would have given him a caution, but one day is fine. It is at the bottom of the severity scale," he said.

The Jockey Club had initially wanted to hear Murphy's appeal last Friday, but Mac Neice wanted more time. "We had to look at all the angles, quite literally, and at other cases, so we had to give it some thought. That's why we asked to have more time, as we needed it, and I am grateful we got it.

"In this case the horse was not hurt and there was no suggestion, I don't think, that this was a deliberate attempt by the jockey to strike the horse."

The disciplinary panel viewed recordings of last week's race as well as other incidents and heard evidence from Murphy before making their decision.

Malcolm Wallace, director of regulation at the Jockey Club, explained some of the factors the panel had considered.

"It was improper riding, but the panel accepted there was no abuse of the horse," he said.