Royal Ascot-winning jockey smacked with eight-month ban for ‘abusive and insulting’ social media posts

MULTIPLE Group 1-winning jockey Neil Callan has been hit with an eight-month ban for ‘abusive and insulting' posts about BHA officials on social media.

Callan's ban is suspended for two years but any disciplinary offences not related to race-riding during that window will likely see it triggered.

The Irishman, 46, made a number of posts on X between August 2023 and January 2024 that were in breach of the BHA's code of conduct. The posts have since been deleted.

One such post was on December 15, 2023 and was directed at BHA steward and ex-jockey Tony McGlone, which disciplinary panel chair Tim Grey described as “abusive, insulting and disrespectful”.

He was also found to have made posts on December 9 in the same year which were “not a responsible use of social media and did not show adequate respect to the officials at the BHA”.

A third charge related to “a course of conduct between August 16 2023 and January 14 2024 when Mr Callan hosted and reposted and commented on social media in a manner that was offensive, abusive and inappropriate such as it was prejudicial to the proper conduct and good reputation of horse racing in Great Britain”.

Monday morning's hearing was predominantly held in private after Callan, who was also fined £1500, reached a plea agreement with the independent judicial panel.

Grey said: “The suspension itself will act as a deterrent and should Mr Callan's behaviour recur or be repeated, then of course that suspension can be activated.

“It's also right to say that if Mr Callan were to commit any further breaches of the rules of racing, save for standalone riding-related offences… it would then be open to any future judicial panel to activate the suspension in addition to any new penalty.”

Callan has had long and successful career in the saddle and was champion apprentice in his second season with a licence in 1999.

He has ridden over 1,700 winners and enjoyed a money-spinning eight-year stint in Hong Kong from 2014 to 2021, when he rode 273 winners.

His career in Hong Kong was effectively ended after he was given a three-month ban for showing a lack of respect to Hong Kong Jockey Club officials during a stewards' inquiry.

He returned to the UK three years ago and reunited with old ally Kevin Ryan, winning the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on 33-1 outsider Triple Time in 2023.

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