NO JOY FOR OLIVER AS JUDGE SAYS BAN ‘FAIR’
DAMIEN Oliver has lost his Racing and Disciplinary Board appeal against careless riding, as jockeys were put on notice they run the risk of drawing increased penalties if race-day bans are considered too light.
Judge John Bowman dismissed Oliver’s appeal against a 14-meeting suspension after stewards ruled he caused interference when riding Redcore at Sandown last week.
In rejecting Oliver’s argument he was a casualty of Craig Williams’ tactics, Judge Bowman said Williams had not deviated from his line on eventual winner Esperance.
He also found Oliver had crossed Williams when not sufficiently clear and four horses had suffered significant interference.
And, in a sting in the tail for all jockeys, Judge Bowman warned he “can and will” consider increasing penalties imposed by stewards in future if “circumstances warranted it”.
Judge Bowman said Oliver’s two-week penalty was “very fair”.
Oliver said there was a “degree of self-governance” in the jockeys’ ranks to “keep ourselves safe” and he believed Williams had acted out of selfinterest.
But chief steward Terry Bailey said he “found nothing wrong with Craig Williams pushing his mount along to hold his spot”.
Oliver will now lose the ride on Vega Magic in the $1 million Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on September 2 – a day before the suspension ends.