DECLAN Lavery is not allowed to recover the costs he incurred in successfully appealing his 10-day riding ban at the British Horseracing Board headquarters in London this week.

The amateur rider from Downpatrick was one of three Irish jockeys punished by the Cheltenham stewards after the four-mile chase for “continuing in the race when it appeared to be contrary to the horse’s welfare”.

Lavery ultimately finished a remote third in the race aboard the Philip Hobbs-trained Jerrysback.

On Thursday he won his appeal. He was represented by barrister Rory MacNeice and solicitor Andrew Coonan. Hobbs also gave supportive evidence on his behalf.

Lavery told Sky Sports Racing: “I’m very relieved that we got the result we were looking for. I was very shocked initially, because I was delighted with myself for getting him round as he nearly fell a couple of times; so to get back and find out I’d got 10 days took the buzz away.

“The drama around it hasn’t affected me, I just put my head down and I’m pleased to get it over and done with.

“I had a really good team behind me, I had Andrew (Coonan), I had Rory (Mac Neice) and Mr Hobbs – I was very happy he came up to help me. I didn’t feel like I’d done anything wrong. I was quietly confident I’d get it turned round, but having the right people behind me made it a bit easier. I was confident I’d done the right thing.”

He added: “I can get back point-to-pointing this weekend, get things back to normal. I’ve missed my flight, though, so I’ll have to get another one.”

Though Lavery did have his £250 deposit returned by the BHA, he will not have his legal or travel expenses reimbursed as this is not covered in the rules.

Following the disciplinary panel’s decision to overturn the ban, the BHA said in a statement: “Stewards have to make immediate decisions in the midst of a sporting event. That is why an independent appeals process exists which offers a fair process for challenging stewarding decisions. The panel were also clear that the requirement of the rules to pull up tired horses has primacy over the requirement to achieve the best possible placing, and that it is no justification to continue on a horse to finish placed in a race if doing so would be contrary to the horse’s welfare.”

LENGTHY BANS

Two other jockeys in the National Hunt Chase were handed lengthy bans. Rob James was suspended for a total of 19 days after his mount Just Your Type fell at the final fence. Noel McParlan, whose mount Mulcahys Hill fell at the second-last, received an eight-day ban.

A fourth rider, Damien Skehan, who finished fourth on Clondaw Cian – the final finisher in the race, was also the subject of an inquiry but not found in breach of the rules.