Barry Geraghty admits to relief after his Limerick ban is quashed

Barry Geraghty has admitted to feeling a mixture of delight and relief following his successful appeal against his 30-day ban for his ride on Noble Emperor at Limerick.

The Gold Cup-winning jockey was hit with the lengthy suspension after finishing second aboard the Tony Martin-trained eight-year-old in the www.limerickraces.ie Handicap Hurdle on April 3, a race won by Velocity Boy, who made all having opened up a big advantage on the field from an early stage.

The local stewards were of the opinion Geraghty had failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing and handed him a 30-day ban that would have ruled him out of next week's Punchestown Festival.

However, the suspension was quashed following a lengthy appeal hearing at the Irish Turf Club on Monday evening.

Speaking in his At The Races blog, Geraghty said: "I was obviously delighted with the decision of the appeals body at the Turf Club on Monday night to uphold our appeal into the ban imposed for the running and riding of Noble Emperor at Limerick. I was just relieved that they saw the race in its true light.

"It has been a tough few weeks, with the whole thing hanging over me, and it was a long night on Monday.

"But the appeals panel - Judge Tony Hunt, Lesley Crawford and Martin O'Donnell - took the time to listen to both sides and to view relevant races, past races as well as the race on the April 3.

"I was completely shocked on the day when I learned of the suspension, and it is great credit to the appeals board for seeing the race for what it was, and for clearing all of us of any wrongdoing.

"It is a big relief that any potential damage to my reputation has been avoided, and it is brilliant that I will now be able to ride at the Punchestown Festival next week."