Bans for Newitt and Carr
TOP Tasmanian jockeys Craig Newitt and Siggy Carr will miss plum rides at the last two meetings of the summer carnival after they both withdrew their appeals against suspensions for careless riding.
Newitt was outed for one meeting after falling foul of the rules in a race in Launceston last Wednesday night, while Carr copped two meetings for her infringement of the rules in Hobart on Cup Day.
Carr not only copped two meetings but the horse she rode and trains, Dobell, which caused the interference, was relegated from first to fourth.
Newitt’s decision to withdraw his appeal means he will forego the ride on Our Long Sali, one of the favourites for the Tasmanian Oaks. That filly will now be ridden by Anthony Darmanin.
Carr was to partner the John Blacker-trained Glass Warrior in the Oaks and she will be well fancied in betting after finishing second to Go- dolphin’s Rock Dove in the Strutt Stakes on Hobart Cup day. Blacker has booked Jason Maskiell to partner Glass Warrior on Sunday.
Carr rode the Scott Brunton-trained The Inevitable to victory in the Group 2 C.S. Hayes over 1400m at Flemington last Saturday as a lead-up to the Australian Guineas.
“I had already been booked to ride The Inevitable in the C.S. Hayes so I was always going to be allowed to ride him last Saturday,” Carr said.
By withdrawing her appeal, Carr will miss the last two meetings of the summer carnival, but she will definitely be clear to ride The Inevitable in the Australian Guineas which will be Carr’s first ride in a Group 1 event.
By foregoing the Oaks meeting Newitt will be clear to ride Hobart Cup winner Eastender in the Launceston Cup next Wednesday. But Newitt must face an inquiry at Racing Victoria headquarters today which has resulted from a joint investigation into alleged breaches of the rules by the rider in both Victoria and Tasmania. The investigation has been ongoing since September last year but this is the first time the Victorian integrity office has requested an interview with Newitt. STRUTT Stakes winner Rock Dove had a track gallop at Mowbray yesterday and worked brilliantly, according to jockey Brendon McCoull, who drove from Hobart to Launceston specifically to ride the James Cummings-trained filly. “It was worth the trip because the filly looked and felt fantastic,” McCoull said.
“She has definitely come on since her Strutt Stakes win so obviously the Tassie environment suits her.”
Rock Dove worked with her stablemate Cossetot, which won the Tasmanian Derby. He worked so well yesterday that connections were contemplating taking up the option to run him in the Launceston Cup. But after a lengthy deliberation Godolphin’s head trainer Cummings opted to stick to the original plan and send Etymology for the Launceston Cup and take Cossetot back to Melbourne to contest a Group 2 3YO race at Caulfield over 1800m on Saturday.