Billy Loughnane, aiming to become Britain’s youngest champion jockey on the Flat since Frank Wootton in 1909, has appealed against a 21-day ban imposed by stewards at Southwell. The ban stems from an incident in which he rode Beelzebub back to the unsaddling enclosure after the horse had been scratched on veterinary advice.
Beelzebub was kicked at the start before the final race on Thursday and deemed lame following examination. Loughnane, suspended for improper riding, has appealed both the stewards’ finding and the penalty.
If unsuccessful, the 20-year-old will be sidelined from 9 April to 30 April, missing the Craven meeting at Newmarket and the Greenham Stakes meeting at Newbury. He would return for the start of the championship on 2 May, but the enforced break remains a source of frustration.
Loughnane is currently second favourite for the 2026 jockeys’ championship at around 6-4, behind Oisin Murphy (4-6). Rossa Ryan is 10-1 and 12-1 bar three.
Meanwhile, a maximum field of 22 will contest the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster on Saturday. William Haggas, who has won the race a record five times, saddles Eternal Force, a progressive four-year-old vying for favouritism with La Botte.
