Damien Oliver won’t appeal a careless riding suspension that will see him miss the ride on Fawkner in the first Group 1 of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the weight for age $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29.
Damien Oliver will miss the ride on Fawkner in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield due to suspension. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Oliver was outed on two separate careless riding charges at Seymour on Wednesday, receiving seven meetings for both incidences with the second suspension being partially served with the first, meaning he will miss eleven meetings in total and will be out of the saddle until midnight September 2.
Stewards found Oliver guilty of causing interference to at the 1400m in the first race of the day when he let eventual winner Multifacets shift in when insufficiently clear of Last Typhoon ridden by Dwayne Dunn.
Then Oliver fell fowl of the stewards again in the second last race on the card when he allowed Leadfoot to shift in at the 200m causing Craig Williams to restrain Zumari.
As well as missing the ride on Fawkner in the Memsie Stakes, Oliver will also have to give the mount on last Spring’s star three year old Rich Enuff who was due to kick off his this year’s Spring Carnival campaign in the Group 3 $150,000 The Heath (1100m) on the same day.
Connections of the Mick Price trained Ready For Victory who was booked to run in the Group 3 $150,000 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) and the Leon and Troy Corstens trained Vazalay will have to find replacement jockeys.
Oliver claimed his tenth Melbourne jockey’s premiership when he took out the 2014 – 2015 title and has started the new season off in dynamic style with seven Metropolitan wins already on the board including a double last Saturday at Caulfield.
The champion hoop steered Vezalay to victory in the $80,000 Beveridge Williams Plate (1100m) and followed that up later in the day with a win on smart filly Petits Filous for trainer Ciaron Maher in the Group 3 $150,000 Lister Quezette Stakes (1100m).
Oliver is free to ride at Moonee Valley on Saturday before his suspension begins and has seven mounts on the nine race program.
Damien Oliver’s ride at Moonee Valley on Satrurday: Race 1 – Sebring Sally (Chris Waller, $4) $80,000 Quest Moonee Valley Plate (1200m).
Race 2 – Scherzoso (Tonny McEvoy, $5.50) $50,000 Simpson Construction Handicap (1600m).
Race 4 – Pilly’s Wish (Mick Price, $8) $80,000 Dr Sheahaan Plate (1200m).
Race 6 – Odyssey Moon (Rodney Northam, $4.40) Listed $120,000 Essendon Nissan McKenzie Stakes (1200m).
Race 7 – Le Bonsir (Mick Price, $12) Listed $120,000 1Print Carlyon Stakes (1000m).
Race 8 – Abbasso (Chris Waller, $4.60) $90,000 Sweeney Estate Agents Handicap (1500m).
Race 9 – Reigning (Chris Waller, $6.50) $80,000 ADAPT Australia Handicap (2500m).
