The saga of the Irish jockey that punched a horse before a race is over.
The Turf Club appeals body handed a four-meeting ban to jockey Davy Russell for punching Kings Dolly in the neck at Tramore last month.
Irish jumps stewards charged Russell with conduct prejudicial to the interest of racing but the jockey received a caution when the case was first heard.
The Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee, which oversees stewarding in Irish jumps racing, sent the case to the Turf Club appeal panel after describing Russell's caution as "unduly lenient".
The Turf Club heard the matter on Tuesday and the Racing Post reported Russell described the press and social media reaction to the incident as "disgraceful"
"I want to make this as simple as possible, hence why I'm not here with any legal representation," Russell told the hearing. "It's very simple. It's a situation that has been taken to a level that has aggrieved both me and my family, by both the public and the media.
"Not by the Turf Club. I'm not questioning how you have gone about your business. And you have taken criticism over this also.
"What the press have done is unacceptable. Not just to me, but to my family as well. My family are involved as well. They were mentioned in articles along the way. It is not just me any more. I have a wife and children.
"One of those children is 13 years of age. She knows what is going on. She's at secondary school at the moment and she has to deal with this as well. I'm a father as well as a horseman, and I'm a normal human being.
"Journalists have paid no regard to that and have kept going and going and going with it. In my eyes that is disgraceful. It's pretty obvious to everyone in this room that I have put that in a lenient way."
Russell's penalty will start on September 19.
