Linda Meech suspended for 23 meetings

Victoria’s leading jockey Linda Meech has been suspended for more than three weeks after being found guilty of improper riding in a race at Kilmore.

The 23-meeting ban, to start after Tuesday’s Terang meeting, was imposed by stewards after the resumption of an inquiry into an incident in the straight on January 8.

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Stewards found Meech had altered her whip action approaching the 100m mark by reaching out with her left arm and using her whip in a manner that struck apprentice Stephen Brown on the side of his body.

They took into account her excellent 20-year record, the fact the incident did not alter the outcome of the race and that the impact of the contact was low.

Meech leads the state premiership from Damian Lane and Dean Yendall.