THE GALWAY Plate winning jockey Kevin Coleman is undecided as yet about appealing the record 50-day riding ban he received at Limerick on Saturday under non-trier rules. The suspension is the harshest handed out to a professional jockey in Ireland.
An otherwise mostly non-descript post-Cheltenham fixture became the focus of attention when Coleman controversially finished runner-up on Paul Kristian in the St Patrick's Day Maiden Hurdle, beaten six lengths by the winner Let Yourself Go.
Coleman appeared to deliver a tender ride to Paul Kristian and the Limerick stewards on duty decided the Co Cork-born rider had failed to take all permissible measures to obtain a best possible placing. They gave him the 50 days under a sub-section of Rule 212.
Such a severe penalty has only been imposed once before, on the amateur Michael Purcell for his ride on Laetitia in a bumper at Cork in April, 2005.
"I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet," Coleman said at Limerick yesterday where he was riding again. I have a few days to think about it."
Paul Kristian's trainer Liam Burke, who provided Coleman with his greatest victory on board Sir Frederick in last summer's Galway Plate, expressed his dissatisfaction with the ride from the second last.
Burke confirmed Coleman's evidence that he had been instructed to give Paul Kristian a hands and heels ride as he felt the horse had had too hard a race on its previous start. However, the trainer said he was not happy with the ride, even without the jockey using the whip. The Co Cork-based trainer had his explanation noted by the Turf Club.
Both Burke and Coleman enjoyed their most high-profile success when Sir Frederick memorably landed last August's Galway Plate. Sir Frederick was a 12 to 1 winner on that occasion.
The Aintree Grand National contenders Point Barrow and Dun Doire headline the St Patrick's Day action at Down Royal where they line up for the conditions chase.
Paul Carberry travels north for the mount on Dun Doire in a race that the former Cheltenham festival winner won last year before being pulled up in the Aintree spectacular a few weeks later.
Dun Doire is a general 33 to 1 shot for Liverpool but his big rival Point Barrow is as low as 16 to 1 in ante-post betting despite the former Irish National winner falling at the first of the big fences at Aintree last year.
Point Barrow may not be at his best on the forecast testing conditions but he has a couple of pounds in hand of Dun Doire on official ratings and crucially he normally starts running into form at this time of year.
Carberry's best chance of a winner should come instead in the three-mile Beginners Chase as Offaly looks a likely favourite following a narrow defeat by Hairy Molly on his previous start at Navan.
The former champion jockey's sister Nina is also in action at Down Royal and has an interesting mount in the bumper on Jamsie Hall who was third to Preswell Lad at Downpatrick on his last start.
Cheltenham ambitions were held out for Wins Now before his novice chase career began but two runs over fences didn't set the world alight.
Niall Madden reverted to hurdles with the big chestnut for his last run when fifth to Catch Me in the Gowran Champion Hurdle Trial and a repeat of that kind of form will probably be enough for Wins Now to land the two-mile conditions hurdle at Wexford.
Arthur Moore's string are in fine form as Tiger Cry proved when scoring in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham last week and Pin d'Estruval should be a leading player in the maiden hurdle.
