Furious jockey gets massive ban after winning race as punters blast ‘absolute joke’ of a decision

A FURIOUS jockey has launched an appeal after getting hit with a massive ban for winning a race.

Top class rider Vincent Ho was deemed not to have ridden his mount out fully when dead-heating at Happy Valley on Wednesday.

Punters thought Ho appeared to ask his four-year-old gelding for plenty as he motored down the middle of the track.

But stewards took a dim view of his finish, believing he should have won rather than dead-heating with Lucky Archangel, who was ridden by 7lb claimer Angus Chung.

Both jockeys won connections £59,000 in the Class 3 handicap and in the in-running comment said Ho’s ride ‘stayed on strongly in the final furlong’.

Stewards disagreed though, slapping Ho with a five-week ban after noticing he put his whip away just before the line.

A statement from stewards read: “Ho was found guilty of a charge under Rule 100(2) in that he failed to ride his mount out all the way to the end of the race to the satisfaction of the stewards.

“Having considered precedent penalties, jockey Ho’s record in relation to like offences and the nature of the breach in circumstances where his mount dead-heated for first placing, the stewards believed the appropriate penalty was for Ho’s licence to ride in races be suspended for a period to commence on Wednesday, 18 October 2023 and to expire on Monday, 20 November 2023.”

Ho immediately appealed the severity of the ban – as exasperated punters hit out at what they thought was a ‘farcical’ decision.

Top UK-based jockey Neil Callan said it was ‘unbelievable’.

While one punter commented: “I’ve never seen anything like that. Suspended for a dead-heat?”

Another said: “Makes no sense!”

One post read: “Rubbish decision.”

While another commented: “Pathetic. Ridden out too vigorously if anything.”

Ho’s ban is set to kick in on October 18 and expire on November 20.

He has winnings of just under £1million from 30 rides so far this season.

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