BOWMAN’S SIX-WEEK PENALTY FOR FALL
CHAMPION jockey Hugh Bowman has been hit with a six-week ban after being found guilty of careless riding which contributed to a horror fall at Rosehill.
Racing NSW acting chief steward Wade Birch found Bowman rode in a “careless manner” near the 300m mark last Saturday when he shifted out on eventual winner Smart Image.
This caused a tiring Hot ’N’ Hazy, ridden by Andrew Adkins, to clip the heels of Duchess and crash to the turf.
Adkins was badly injured in the fall, sustaining a broken left leg and collarbone, seven rib fractures and a collapsed lung.
He remains in hospital and won’t ride again this year.
Hot ’N’ Hazy suffered catastrophic injuries in the fall and had to be euthanised.
Bowman, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, expressed his remorse for the incident but told stewards he could not be solely to blame for the fall because there were other contributing factors.
He argued there was a run for Smart Image between leader Mr Colorful and Hot ’N’ Hazy but when he made the split-second decision to move, Mr Colorful shifted out.
“I’ve ridden in a lot of races, I would consider myself a careful rider and this was by no means a rushed or spur of the moment decision,” Bowman said.
“It was a calculated one which unfortunately resulted in devastating circumstances but that said, I have to disagree with the stewards’ finding.”
Birch told Bowman an incident like the Rosehill fall would usually attract a threemonth penalty but stewards took into account the jockey’s “race riding record, the contribution of the horse (Mr Colorful) racing forward of you and the time of year” before handing down the sixweek penalty.
Bowman can resume riding on September 11.