Billy Loughnane suspended for three weeks after stewards deemed he acted against instructions of vet at Southwell
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Billy Loughnane has been banned for three weeks after stewards decided he acted against the instructions of the vet at Southwell on Thursday.
His mount Beelzebub was withdrawn by the vet having been deemed to be lame after being kicked at the start of the concluding 6f handicap.
Loughnane, who broke the 21st Century record for most winners in a year in 2025 and is second favourite behind Oisin Murphy in this year’s champion Flat jockey betting, rode the six-year-old back from the start, prompting a stewards’ inquiry.
After interviewing the rider, the BHA veterinary officer and the racecourse vet, the stewards suspended Loughnane for 21 days for improper riding, deeming he acted against the instructions of the vet by riding his mount back.
Beelzebub’s trainer Dave Loughnane described the decision to withdraw the horse as “absolutely mind-boggling”. The trainer said: “I wasn’t at the races but from what I’ve been told another horse reversed into our horse. The vets trotted him up and said they weren’t happy because of the graze on his leg and withdrew him.
“But the graze they’re talking about on his leg has been on his leg since he arrived at my yard. The horse trotted up sound twice under Billy and no-one told Billy not to ride the horse back, so he cantered him home absolutely sound.
“I’ll be getting a vet out first thing tomorrow morning to do a full report on the horse because it’s absolutely mind-boggling. If that’s the way our sport is going we’re in serious trouble.
“We’re all in the sport for the same reason – we love horses and our priority is horse welfare – but there has to be a bit of common sense come into play with the BHA.
“My team at the races trotted him up in front of the owners and again back in the stable yard and the horse is 100 per cent sound. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with him.”
Dave Loughnane: “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the horse”Credit: Edward Whitaker
Loughnane’s suspension runs from April 9 to April 30, meaning he misses the three-day Craven fixture at Newmarket and Newbury’s two-day Greenham meeting.
The trainer added: “We’ll do everything in our power to assist Billy in any possible appeal because it’s ridiculous in my opinion.”
The rider returns on the first day of the Guineas meeting at Newmarket on May 1.
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