Shepherd wins appeal against ban after dead heat

Jockey Callum Shepherd’s 18-day ban following a controversial dead heat finish has been overturned on appeal.

Shepherd was deemed by stewards at Kempton to have failed to ride out to the finish as his mount Thorntonledale Max was joined by favourite Flavour Maker on 21 August.

But he denied easing up the horse, trained by David Simcock, in the seven-furlong handicap, saying they “lost rhythm” in the final strides.

Shepherd, who rose up in his riding irons approaching the line, told an appeal hearing: “I look a mess, it’s embarrassing to watch but what is crucial is we didn’t lose any momentum whatsoever.

“It comes from that commitment to win, my riding style fell apart in the final strides.”

James O'Mahony, chair of the independent panel, said it accepted Shepherd's explanation on the balance of probabilities.

The 27-year-old jockey initially claimed the photo showed he had won outright but a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) review dismissed this.