Pat Cosgrave is free to continue riding in Britain after the British Horseracing Authority revealed it had not received a request from the Emirates Racing Authority to reciprocate a forfeit penalty issued to the jockey.
Cosgrave has been placed on the forfeit list over his failure to pay nearly STG35,000 ($A63,886) in costs relating to a six-month riding ban in Dubai which was reduced to four months on appeal.
The suspension dated back to earlier in the year when Cosgrave was ruled guilty of improper riding in the Group One Jebel Hatta at Meydan in March.
He was successful in a subsequent appeal to the BHA to not reciprocate that suspension, with the Professional Jockeys Association critical of the ERA’s decision to try to recover costs from the rider.
Paul Struthers, chief executive of the PJA spoke of his delight at the Cosgrave news, but also had a word of caution for jockeys planning to ride in Dubai during the winter.
“It’s good news,” Struthers said.
“If Pat ever wants go back to the Emirates he’ll have to consider what he does because we have repeatedly tried to engage the ERA on their rules.
“We stand by our criticism of their rules in that their costs structure and appeal structure is such that in effect there is no route of appeal for jockeys in Dubai.
“We will be advising our members who are going to Dubai this year, that if they go they have to accept that whatever decision the stewards take they are just going to have to accept.
“Unless they are willing to change their rules there is no route of appeal under the current management of the ERA.”
