Jockeys keep being whipped into line
The spate of excessive whip use charges filed against jockeys continues.
Daniel Hain tasted rare success with a home town win aboard Jayla Monet in the Te Awamutu Cup on Sunday but his winning riding fee was trimmed by a $300 fine for excessive use of the whip.
The mare Ben Ropiha trains for several of his family won the race comfortably and a campaign aimed at the New Zealand Cup in November is under consideration.
Ropiha added to the home town flavour having recently relocated from Cambridge to join the ranks in Te Awamutu.
At Ruakaka on Wednesday, former South African jockey Brandon Morgenrood, who is just eight rides into his NZ career and still chasing his first win, was handed a $300 fine for excessive use of the whip.
Another jockey was given a warning over whip use but that was nothing compared to Riccarton on Saturday.
Stewards issued seven jockeys with warnings for excessive use of the whip and under the same rule fined Amanda Morgan $300 after her win on Saronic Miss.
Michael Mcnab won races on Age Of Fire and Tiffany’s Time for Te Akau racing but had his day tempered by a $400 fine after admitting a breach when unable to make the contracted weight for Avantage and Imperium.
He was replaced on both by Alysha Collett who won the twoyear-old race on the talented Avantage and also won on Swing Note, giving Te Akau a four-win haul.
It was a day of mixed emotion for Te Akau with the abandonment of Hawkes Bay, robbing Gingernuts and Chance to Dance their tilt at the Group I Livamol Classic, but the Autridge and Richards stable still shone brightly with four wins, a second and a third placing at Riccarton.
At Te Rapa on Friday Troy Harris was fined $200 for failing to make the contracted weight for one of his rides which turned out to be a winner.
Jason Waddell picked up the ride on the Stephen Marsh-trained Sumstreetsumwhere, who is raced by fellow trainer Ben Foote, Sam Beatson and South Island trotting identity Andrew Stuart.
Sumstreetsumwhere had looked very promising when winning his two trials. Sumstreetsumwhere was ridden on debut by Harris, who bounced back to win on Yearn at Hastings on Saturday and Dr Hank at Te Awamutu on Sunday to take his season tally to 10.
‘‘He’ll go to the Sarten Memorial here at Te Rapa next start then hopefully down to the 2000 Guineas,’’ Marsh said.
At Waverley on Thursday two jockeys received suspensions for careless riding. Both Kate Cowan and Dylan Turner will miss five riding days after pleading guilty while Matthew Cameron received a $300 fine for excessive whip use.