I have had half a dozen letters from trainers supporting me and I am very pleased to read the comments in the paper today from the public and owners.”I am relieved to clear my name as I am a horseman and the last thing I wanted to do was be off for 10 days when racing is at its busiest.”Thornton appeared before the Jockey Club under a rule which in National Hunt racing covers Grade One contests and races worth in excess of pounds 80,000, into which category the Murphy’s Gold Cup falls.John Maxse, the Jockey Club’s spokesman, said: “Each case is treated on its merits and in this instance the committee were of the view that Andrew Thornton was not in breach of Instruction H9.”The trainer Saeed bin Suroor was fined pounds 1,000 by the disciplinary committee over a drugs test given by Royal Line who tested positive for the prohibited substance pentoxifylline after winning the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket’s July meeting. As that newspaper’s letters page also contained a torrent of missives supporting the popular jockey the effect was probably evened up.”Malcolm Wallace’s letter in the Racing Post had no effect on the outcome whatsoever,” Thornton declared. They have got the welfare of the horse to take into consideration, and they are only doing their job. I respect that enormously as it is very, very difficult.”I put my opinion forward today and the disciplinary committee found that I wasn’t in breach, so I am a very happy man.”Thornton added that a letter from Malcolm Wallace, the Jockey Club’s Director of Regulation, which was published in the Racing Post yesterday morning and erroneously referred to the rider’s suspension, had not been prejudicial. I am pleased I represented myself and spoke through what I thought I’d done correctly.”This sport is all about opinions and I respect what the stewards have got to do. Timmy Murphy, Barry Fenton and Philip Robinson had each received 10-day bans when appearing at Portman Square.
Thornton, who did not opt for legal representation, said: “It shows you can come to Portman Square and you can get a fair hearing, which I did.

Thornton was cleared of using his whip with excessive force on Stormy Passage in an unsuccessful pursuit of The Outback Way in the big race at Cheltenham. The rider, who had been referred to the Jockey Club’s disciplinary committee by the Cheltenham stewards, became the first jockey to escape punishment when referred under the Jockey Club rule introduced last March covering big races. ANDREW THORNTON yesterday achieved a success even more remarkable than if he had managed to win last Saturday’s Murphy’s Gold Cup He got a result at the Jockey Club. “He has won first time out four times in the last five seasons, so I don’t think that is going to be a problem for him.”Francois Doumen’s Djeddah is now 8-1 from 10-1 with William Hill for the Hennessy and 10-1 from 14-1 with Coral after sustained support..

I am happy to be judged on that.”Shades of Clive Woodward, the England rugby coach, who asked to be judged on the World Cup. English football supporters will hope for a better verdict on Keegan but, as yet, there is little reason to expect one.. SIMON SHERWOOD will work Suny Bay at a secret location within the next 48 hours before deciding whether the grey will run in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury a week tomorrow. Suny Bay, who took the race in 1997, is a 12-1 shot with Coral to join a short and illustrious list of dual winners, which currently consists of just Mandarin and Arkle.
“He is going to work in secret in the next 48 hours – I am not going to say where – and if he worked badly, he wouldn’t run,” Sherwood said. We have to get something the players can trust in and believe in.”That sounds like a man whistling in the dark hoping his lottery ticket comes up to pay the electricity bill.

But Keegan, not without justification, added: “We go there with as much chance as anyone: Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy We beat Belgium last month and they then beat Italy I think it is as open as it will ever be Euro 2000 is the time to judge us, on the big stage. We have to try something different if we are going to win anything, we can’t just go on like we did last night and say it will come right. The only new faces one can imagine breaking into the squad are Muzzy Izzet, Lee Bowyer, Michael Bridges and, in extremis, Joe Cole.It would help if everyone was fit. Even for Wednesday, when Keegan felt he had a relatively injury-free squad, he was missing Martin Keown, Steve McManaman, Darren Anderton, Graeme Le Saux, Gary Neville, Stuart Pearce, Kieron Dyer, Robbie Fowler, Nicky Butt and the suspended David Batty.Even then can Keegan, in three games, find a way to make them play? “You know me, I am the eternal optimist, I really believe we will find the solution It may take a while, it may start with Argentina. In the six calendar years since Graham Taylor’s last match, on 17 November 1993, to Wembley on Wednesday, 73 players have won England caps from a staggering 98 who have been called up. “I have seven or eight players in my mind and three or four places up for grabs.”They will probably be filled from within the squad.