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...
Kiwi Bred Comeback King Globe wins Cranbourne Cup
The super-talented Globe put a troubled 14 months behind him with a powerful all-the-way win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m).
Another Feature Win for La Crique
La Crique sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish.
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Xtravagant Gelding Nadal Brilliant in Meteorite
Ciaron Maher has a stranglehold on pop-up and slot races and was back in the winner's circle again after the inaugural running of the $1,000,000 The Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne.
Storyville Downs the Colts in G2 WA Guineas
The WA Champion Fillies Stakes heroine Storyville earned a shot at the Group 1 Northerly Stakes after she gave the colts a start and beating in Saturday’s $500,000 Group II White Claw - WA Guineas (1600m) at Ascot.
Sires With Winners - Friday November 22
Here is the full list of 46 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Gringotts Continues Kiwi Winning Run in $1million The Gong
Kiwi bred Gringotts continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s Group III A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Sires With Winners - Thursday November 21
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Better Than Ready's Port Lockroy Triumphs in G1 Railway Stakes
Interstate visitors have a poor winning record in the $1,500,000 Group 1 Swan Draught - Railway Stakes, but Port Lockroy played his part in squaring the ledger when choosing the perfect spot to end a run of bad luck in stakes races.