JOCKEY Alex Thorne has lost his appeal against a 21-day ban for not weighing in after winning a race.
Thorne steered surprise 14-1 chance Twin Star to victory at Taunton earlier this month.
But the jockey was disqualified for failing to jump on the scales afterwards.
The shambles was caught live on ITV4 at the time, with Thorne’s winning speech being played on the cameras.
However, once the error was made clear, second-placed Robinshill was promoted to winner.
Thorne had appealed to the British Horseracing Authority to have his ban reduced.
But the conclusion reached by a judicial panel was that the jockey had not been ‘flustered or distracted’ and that he had ‘simply made a mistake’.
After deliberation, panel chairman Tim Charlton told Thorne that the appeal had been rejected as ‘no apparent exceptional circumstances had been identified’.
Charlton said: “While we express our sympathies to your position – this is a tough rule – we cannot identify justification for any part-deferral or part-suspension of the penalty.”
Why was he banned?
Before a race each jockey must weigh-out to ensure they are carrying the correct weight, and before a result is made official they must weigh-in afterwards to ensure they are still carrying the right weight.
Jockeys must go straight to the scales before returning to their changing room.
Thorne mistakenly went into the changing rooms after his interview on ITV4 without having his weight taken.
The moment jockeys cross the line and enter the changing rooms, they’re disqualified.
@LeglockLuke explains the situation after Twin Star was disqualified due to jockey Alex Thorne failing to weigh in.#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/wiLvNOPUFn
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) November 12, 2020
The on course stewards’ held an inquiry and confirmed the change of the result, and slapped Thorne with a 21-day suspension.
The stewards’ report read: “The Clerk of the Scales objected to the winner, Twin Star, ridden by Alexander Thorne, on the grounds of the rider failing to weigh in.
“Twin Star was disqualified, and the placings revised. After being interviewed, the rider was suspended for 21 days and was not entitled to a riding fee.”
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