Maguire has suspension quashed after appeal

Maguire took evasive action on Sunday to avoid the injured Harry Haynes, who was still being treated after a fall on the previous circuit.

Stewards banned Maguire from May 3-12 inclusive, but the British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel quashed the suspension yesterday after hearing the rider’s defence. Paul Gallagher was the other rider to take the same course as Maguire, but he elected not to appeal – a decision that he might now rue.

Though the stewards contended Maguire, as pace-setter, should have known the correct course to take, the ban was out of sync with the five-day suspension that the jockey received for misuse of the whip when winning the Grand National on Ballabriggs.

The two instances highlight the mixed messages being sent out by the BHA – especially as Maguire had another whip offence downgraded last month which meant he was able to ride Peddlers Cross in the Champion Hurdle.

Kieren Fallon will miss the Guineas meeting at Newmarket later this month – despite being partially successful in his appeal against a 10-day riding suspension.

The jockey was originally sidelined between April 27-May 6 after being found guilty of not riding out to the winning line aboard Sukhothai at Kempton last week.

That ban was yesterday reduced to seven days, paving the way for Fallon to ride at the prestigious Chester meeting in early May. However, the rider still misses the eye-catching 2000 Guineas ride on Native Khan.

Binocular will clash with Hurricane Fly at Punchestown next month after connections confirmed the seven-year-old is on course for the Rabobank Champion Hurdle on May 6.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, the seven-year-old Binocular was forced to miss his defence of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham – a race won by Hurricane Fly – as treatment for an allergy had not cleared his system in time.

He could only manage fourth at Aintree last time out. Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus, said: “Nothing came to light after Aintree, so we can’t put a finger on exactly what happened there. He ran a good race but just didn’t pick up perhaps as well as he should have, but he has come out of it good.”

The winner of this year’s Coolmore Nunthorpe at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival will gain automatic entry to America’s Breeders Cup.

Peter Toole has left intensive care as he continues to recover from his fall at Aintree on Grand National day.

He suffered bleeding on the brain when Classic Fly fell at the first fence in the Maghull Novices’ Chase. He was taken out of a medically induced coma last Thursday and is now in the high dependency Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Liverpool.