Mr James-Matthews said the horses could have been stopped if needed and that Newman’s actions were different from the 1913 suffragette protest in which Emily Davison was fatally injured after she ran in front of the King’s horse.

“This is not that case, this is a considerable distance – literally – from that scenario,” the barrister said.

Mr Justice Miles said he accepted Newman was “motivated by conscientious objectives” but did not rule on whether they were legitimate.

He continued: “He deliberately flouted the order. His actions were planned in advance.

“He was not acting under pressure or compulsion and his actions were his own.”

Mr Justice Miles was told that Newman previously pleaded guilty to causing public nuisance in related criminal proceedings and had spent more than 30 days in custody prior to his sentencing in July.

Handing down the suspended sentence, the judge noted Newman had apologised and “tasted imprisonment”.

Following the sentencing, Nevin Truesdale, the Jockey Club’s chief executive, said Newman’s decision to run on to the track was a “reckless stunt which could have compromised the safety and security of humans and horses”.