McDonald handed Slipper reprieve
STAR jockey James McDonald is free to ride four Group 1 favourites on Golden Slipper day after the Racing NSW Appeals Panel sensationally reduced a careless riding ban on Monday.
McDonald had his sixmeeting suspension reduced to four meetings which will allow him to ride on one of the biggest Group 1 days in Australian racing including the Slipper steer on race favourite Cylinder.
McDonald is in line for a massive day with Group 1 rides on favourite Cylinder ($3.50) in the Golden Slipper, Anamoe ($1.70) in the George Ryder Stakes, Pericles ($3.50) in the Rosehill Guineas and Lost And Running ($4.50) in The Galaxy.
He is also booked to pilot Chris Waller’s talented mare Hinged in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m).
A self confessed ‘brain fade’ when riding Cholante at last Wednesday’s Randwick Kensington meeting saw McDonald initially slapped with a ban, which was just his second careless riding suspension in close to two years.
When appealing against the severity of the ban, McDonald’s lawyer Darren Kane asked the panel to take into account McDonald’s clean record as well as the magnitude of missing such a big Group 1 meeting.
“It’s not just missing a meeting, he’s riding four of five Group 1 favourites,” Kane said.
McDonald received a reduction as appeals chair Richard Beasley, SC, said the panel agreed that a 10 per cent discount on suspension for missing a feature meeting was too low. The Appeals Panel increased the reduction to 15 per cent which saw McDonald‘s suspension work out to 4.9 meetings.