JEWEL CHASE
ENTRIES FOR RICH COAST RACES
JOCKEY Matt McGillivray will ride at the rich QTIS Jewel meeting at the Gold Coast on Saturday despite being suspended for four weeks.
The ban, stemming from a reckless riding charge at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, was McGillivray’s fourth suspension in three weeks and his second in two days.
Stewards found McGillivray had moved out aboard favourite Winning Shot at the 450mm in a 1000m BenchMark race.
Winning Shot, who made heavy contact with Teagz and Better Than Gold, finished a neck second to Simply So.
McGillivray’s four-week ban begins on March 22 and comes on top of an eight-day ban for causing interference in the last race at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
He was also suspended for eight days at the Toowoomba meeting on February 26 and six days at Doomben on February 19.
He has a stay on an internal review application in place on earlier charges and has the option of seeking an internal review on the charges from the weekend.
McGillivray, who is sixth in the Queensland metropolitan premiership with 29½ wins, will ride at Saturday’s $1.6 million Gold Coast meeting.
Nominations for the $500,000 2YO The Jewel and the $300,000 3YO The Jewel closed yesterday.
The presence of unbeaten gelding Rothfire might have frightened a few potential rivals away with 11 nominations received for the race, which offers a $300,000 first prize.
Officials have extended nominations for the juvenile race until 9am today.
The three-year-old race received 25 entries, including the Sydney-trained Nuclear Summit.