Jockey ban poses threat to top mare

CHRIS Waller faces one of the toughest decisions of his training career after Hugh Bowman yesterday failed to have a careless riding ban reduced on appeal, casting doubt over champion mare Winx’s autumn campaign.

Bowman had been trying to have a seven-meeting suspen- sion – handed down at Warwick Farm on Australia Day – reduced by two meetings.

But the Racing NSW Appeals Panel took just 30 minutes to dismiss the argument that the level of carelessness of his ride on Tswalu was “low”.

Waller is open to changing Winx’s program and not going first-up to the 1400m Apollo Stakes on February 17 at Randwick, as had been planned.

He may wait for Bowman to resume riding again and send her instead to the 1600m Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick on March 3.

There is also the possibility of running in the 1400m Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on February 24.

“I’m sure he (Waller) will have a few options in the back of his mind as far as programming or someone else to ride her,” Bowman said.

“It’s not the end of the world. Being suspended for careless riding is part and parcel of what we do and for the sake of safety and the fairness of horse racing, it is important we ride with due care.”

Keeping her on the Apollo Stakes route is still the most logical plan, considering Winx is lengths ahead of her rivals and, with the depth of worldclass jockeys in Sydney, would still win, barring bad luck.

Bowman was adamant that if Winx was ridden by another jockey in the Apollo, she would get the job done and make it 23 wins in a row.

“She’s been ridden to victory by other jockeys before,” Bowman said. “I was pleased with her trial (yesterday morning). She closed off really well and she’s in good order. As long as she’s going well, the rest will fall into place.”

Bowman hasn’t given up the fight yet and is considering heading to New Zealand on Friday to fight the length of a ban incurred at Ellerslie, Auckland, on January 27.