Unhappy Oliver gets 14 meetings at Sandown

AAP - Thursday August 17

Champion jockey Damien Oliver will miss the first $1 million race of the new racing season after being handed a 14 meeting suspension at Sandown.

Damien Oliver wasn't happy to be suspended at Sandown on Wednesday. Photo: Darryl Sherer

Oliver's ban begins after Caulfield on Saturday and he doesn't return until September 3, a day after the Group One Memsie Stakes meeting at Caulfield.

He pleaded guilty, with mitigating circumstances, to causing interference aboard Redcore in the Sheamus Mills Bloodstock Handicap.

Stewards charged Oliver with shifting in onto Esperance (Craig Williams) near the 900m which resulted in Secret Reward (Brad Rawiller) being severely crowded and The Sword (Aaron Lynch) severely checked. The footage of the incident is below.

Oliver told stewards he had been used by Williams aboard odds-on favourite Esperance, who won the race, and blasted his fellow jockey.

"It was a selfish act," Oliver said.

"He's put two riders inside us in a dangerous position just for the sake of not being stuck three deep.

"You guys (stewards) aren't in a position to hear what goes on in the jockeys room, but I haven't had one jockey in the room say I wasn't stitched up.

"I've got no reason to put those guys in that situation in a race like this.

"Craig's call was late. If he had called earlier I could have done something sooner."

Chief steward Terry Bailey said stewards took into consideration Oliver's guilty plea and the circumstances put forward regarding Williams.

"But we can't get past that you were never clear of him," Bailey said.

Redcore was relegated from fourth to fifth after stewards entered an objection on behalf of connections for the interference.

Oliver has eight rides, including Group One winner Vega Magic in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes, at Caulfield on Saturday.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Opie Bosson Calls it a Day
Opie Bosson, one of the greatest jockeys New Zealand has produced, has today announced his retirement from riding.
Sires With Winners - Saturday December 28
Here is the full list of 95 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Tutta La Vita US Debut Declared a No Race
The highly anticipated North American debut for expensive Australian bred filly Tutta La Vita did not go as planned in the early hours of Saturday morning.
All Too Hard Winner for Te Akau
Progressive galloper Insatiable kept his winning record intact at the Phar Lap Raceway in Timaru with a strong home straight burst that carried him to victory in the Leg Up Oilseed Goodness (1200m) on Saturday.
Eagle Farm Track Record Breaker Bred and Sold by Yarramalong Park
Tony & Maddysen Sears made the decision to geld slick sprinter Steady Ready earlier this year and the move is paying off with the five year-old son of Better Than Ready breaking the Eagle Farm track record for 1000m on Saturday when winning the Benchmark 90 event.
Second Stakes Win for Cable Bay's Tough Bubba's Bay
Cable Bay’s “incredibly tough” daughter Bubba’s Bay is in career best form and took her second stakes win with a brave performance in the Listed Magic Millions Nudgee Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
US G2 Winner for Zoustar
Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar will finish 2024 as the world’s leading sire of winners taking the title for the second year in a row and he’s not done yet with his Northern Hemisphere bred colt King of Gosford taking out the $200,000 Group II Mathis Mile (1m) on turf at Santa Anita on Boxing Day.
Karaka Graduate Wins Stella Artois Championship Final
Hasstobeawinner has often played the bridesmaid role in his career, but on Boxing Day at Ellerslie, he chose the right time to live up to his name, storming home to take out the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final.
Maher to Have Wellington Cup Runner
Leading Victorian trainer Ciaron Maher looks set to add some real international flavour to racing at Trentham next month with hardy stayer Interpretation likely to contest the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) on 18 January.
Disneck - Mr Consistency for Trapeze Artist
Four year-old gelding Disneck was the very first winner for Trapeze Artist when he won at Rosehill in November 2022 and two years on he’s never been going better with a cavalier victory at Randwick on Saturday bringing Christmas cheer for his big team of happy owners.