JOCKEY Robbie Downey has advised his fellow professionals to strongly consider the way in which he was treated by the French racing authorities before they decide to ride in France.

The 23-year-old has begun a six-month riding ban he received from France Galop, a punishment he says he did not deserve and one which has been reciprocated in Britain.

Downey was informed he tested positive for cocaine when he was riding in Lion D’Angers last June. The jockey insisted he was innocent and went to the trouble of providing samples of his own hair which were tested by two laboratories in Britain and France. Both laboratories said there was no evidence of previous drug-taking.

France Galop refused to give Downey details on how much of the prohibited substance was in his positive sample, and, to Downey’s dismay, the British Horseracing Authority has now reciprocated the ban.

“I’d tell other jockeys to be very careful riding in France,” Downey told The Irish Field this week. “I did absolutely nothing wrong and then did everything I could to prove my innocence, at a big financial cost, and I am still going to end up serving a long ban.

“I was reading the other day that nine out of every 10 cash notes have traces of cocaine. The testing system in France shouldn’t be allowed. You’d never know how much cocaine was found in your sample. I’d be very paranoid if I was riding in France again.”

Working with Professional Jockeys Association chief Paul Struthers, Downey was advised that he would struggle with his appeal in France, where the French officials refused to disclose key information on the level of cocaine metabolites in his B sample, therefore ruling out Downey’s plan to use an expert witness to verify his hair test sample.

However, both the jockey and Struthers felt they had a better chance in Britain after the BHA told them they would remain neutral in the case when it was to be heard by an independent disciplinary panel. That stance changed in the week leading up to the hearing, when the BHA took legal counsel and were advised to oppose the appeal, which they did successfully.

Downey said: “Even if the BHA told us they were going to go against us earlier, well then at least I could have prepared for this year. As it is now, I’m going to lose a full year. By the time I’d be back riding [in June] everyone will have their jockeys sorted out.

“I had a contract to ride in India and had ridden four winners there, including a Guineas trial winner. I lost the contract as soon as I was charged by France Galop.”

Downey, who is back in Ireland now and riding out for his old boss Eddie Lynam, still holds on to a little bit of hope that the BHA will backdate his ban to when he was forced to stop riding in India. That would allow him to come back on May 22nd. He is also holding on to hope the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board will help him.

The Irish Field understands the IHRB would consider an application from Downey for a ‘fresh’ Irish licence, though success is far from guaranteed, but no such approach has yet been made by the rider.

In the meantime, the 23-year-old is looking into a move to Australia to ride track work and gain experience in his time off.