Stubbs wins at historic hearing

Apprentice Kristin Stubbs has won her appeal against a two-day suspension in the first Jockey Club disciplinary hearing open to the public.

The 24-year-old had been banned for careless riding aboard Pagan Storm at Wolverhampton on Monday 24 January.

But after a 75 minute hearing and 30 minutes deliberation, the three-man panel upheld her appeal.

"Opening up the hearings increases the transparency of the process," said John Maxse of the Jockey Club.

Stubbs, who has ridden 14 winners in her career, smiled and looked relieved after the verdict but she admitted to feelings "in the pit of my stomach" when she first learnt of her case's historic nature.

"I thought I had a good case and the video evidence seemed to support that," she said.

Lawyer Mark Edmondson, representing Stubbs, told reporters later: "There was no show for you boys. That's what it's always like."

Maxse added that not all inquiries will be open to the public.

"We are restricting the open inquiries to those incidents which occurred during the course of racing, with corroborating evidence of the race," he said.

"We have no statutory powers, so we are unable to make a witness give evidence at a hearing.

"We would not want to be in a situation where potential witnesses would be discouraged from giving evidence by the possible press coverage which may follow."

Interest in the open hearings is expected to soar on 17 February when champion trainer Martin Pipe is due to face the disciplinary panel over the running of Celtic Son last October.