Trainer Philip Rothwell is to appeal over the decision of the Limerick stewards to fine him €2,000, suspend jockey Adam Short for 10 days and ban Duffys Hodey for 60 days following a running and riding inquiry.
The penalties were handed out following the first division of the Fexco Asset Finance Handicap Hurdle in which Duffys Hodey, a 28-1 chance, stayed on in the closing stages to finish sixth of 14 behind Lake Chad.
Duffys Hodey was found to have lost a shoe during the two-mile race and was being ridden by Short for the first time.
“I am part of a syndicate that owns this horse and I will definitely appeal it – 100 per cent appeal it. It will be my third appeal in the last number of months and I don’t want to be in this position,” the Co Wicklow trainer told Racing TV.
“I am mesmerised. I can’t believe it. Halfway down the back it was questionable whether he should stay going.
“I saw he stayed on and when I went in [to the stewards’ room] I watched it on TV and didn’t know why I was there at all.
“The horse has never jumped or hung left before. I could see he was feely and missing a shoe.”
Rothwell, who enjoyed his first winner at Cheltenham for 15 years with Mc Alpine on Friday, went on: “Thankfully we got the minimum fines and penalties, but Adam had never been in a running and riding inquiry in 1,500 rides and I’ve never been found guilty before in three or four thousand runners.
“He was ridden prominently last time and didn’t quite get home, so we dropped him in and stayed on which is the right way to ride him going forward. However, he hung very badly to the left and jumped to the left.”
The stewards also wanted to examine the performance of favourite Strong Roots, who finished ninth, but his rider Gavin Brouder suffered a fall in the following race and could not attend the inquiry, so the matter will be sent to the Referrals Committee for hearing.
