Bookmakers positive about Macs Joy

Racing: It could be up to two weeks before the appeal against the Macs Joy disqualification at Leopardstown is heard but the bookmakers already think the horse is going to get the race back.

The Jessica Harrington Macs Joy was controversially thrown out of first place in the handicap hurdle last Sunday in favour of Kilbeggan Lad.

Harrington has lodged an appeal on the grounds that "the evidence and the facts didn't warrant the reversal of the placings" and Paddy Power reckon she is going to be proved right.

The firm bet 8 to 11 that Macs Joy will be reinstated and evens that he won't.

No date has yet been set for the appeal and the Turf Club's chief executive Denis Egan said yesterday: "It won't be next week because Jessica is on holidays so I imagine it will happen after the 23rd."

The Turf Club's appeals and referrals committee will be busy before that however with six hearings next Wednesday including one featuring a horse running today.

The Richard Murphy-trained Arachine, scheduled to run in the first race at Punchestown, is the horse at the centre of a possible breach of Rules 148(vi), 272 and 273. They concern the matter of horses being trained at the premises given on the trainer's licence application.

Also next week the Co Cork trainer John Joseph Murphy is appealing against the €800 fine imposed on him and the 42-day ban on the horse Uptom Gem at Leopardstown on AIG day.