RacingTimmy Murphy has yet to decide whether to appeal against the seven-day ban he picked up at Ludlow on Wednesday.

The suspension runs from February 20th to 26th inclusive and would rule him out of the Racing Post Chase meeting at Kempton Park. "I don't know yet. I haven't spoken to anybody about it," Murphy said yesterday.

He has until 5 p.m. today to lodge his appeal with the Jockey Club at Shaftesbury Avenue.

Oasis Banus, trained by Martin Pipe and out of the frame in all his four previous starts, went off a 22 to 1 chance and was eighth of the 12 finishers, beaten 46 lengths by the winner Jack's Lad.

The stewards found Murphy to be in breach of rule 158 in that he failed to take all measures to ensure that his horse was given full opportunity to obtain the best possible placing.

The stewards made their decision after interviewing Murphy and Pipe's representative Bob Hodge and viewing a recording of the two-mile race. Murphy said his instructions had been to take his time as the gelding had run very green last time, to keep in company, and to do his best.

Graham Lee faces another spell on the sidelines after fracturing his left collar-bone in a heavy fall from Kew Jumper in the Dick Reynolds Novices' Handicap Chase on his first visit to Wincanton yesterday.

The Grand National-winning jockey only came back at Catterick last month following six weeks out of action after he broke his right arm at Doncaster in November.