Kinane may miss Ascot over ban

Michael Kinane is considering an appeal against the ban which has ruled him out of the ride on Galileo in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.

He was suspended for two days (July 27th and 28th) for careless riding after Aidan O'Brien's odds-on Sophisticat was beaten in the Eircell Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown last night.

"It was an unfortunate race for us," commented O'Brien. "We'll just have to go home and discuss things about Ascot."

The stewards stressed that on handing out the two-day ban they had taken Kinane's "good record in this regard into account".

Kinane did not receive a suspension last season and this is his first such offence this term.

If his appeal fails, he will join the likes of Kieren Fallon, Johnny Murtagh and Frankie Dettori, who missed the Vodafone Derby, Irish Derby and the Prix du Jockey Club respectively due to riding bans.

If Kinane had been suspended for two days in Britain the punishment would have been deferred because there is a Group One contest on one of the days of his ban. But this is not the case in Ireland.

Sophisticat, a 1 to 3 chance, was trapped behind a couple of horses, and when Kinane switched his mount inside he went across Maskaya, who in turn squeezed up Yanni and Johnny Murtagh against the near rail.

The race was won by Pat Smullen aboard Dermot Weld's Agnetha who avoided the trouble by coming down the outside.

Despite her defeat Sophisticat remains on course for York's Ebor meeting next month.

The Ballydoyle team were also out of luck in the High Speed Data Race when 4 to 9 favourite Pebble Island was comprehensively outpointed by Chiming, completing a double for Johnny Murtagh following the earlier success of Henry Afrika.

Miss Beabea earned a tilt at the Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes with an impressive victory in the opening six-furlong juvenile race.

Always going well under promising apprentice Pat Cosgrave, the Catrail filly merely had to be ridden out for a one length verdict over the staying-on Jakeal.

Jayne Mulqueen notched up her second victory aboard Peruvian Athlete as the partnership just held the fast-finishing Lady Semillon in a desperate finish to the 1m 2f handicap.