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Veteran jockey Damien Oliver has sensationally copped a 20-meeting suspension for reckless riding at the Blue Sapphire Stakes at Caulfield on Wednesday, but was quick to announce his intentions to fight the charge.
He becomes just the second Victorian in a decade to be hit with a reckless riding suspension, and for the first time in his long and storied career.
Oliver was in the saddle of colt Flying Artie during the Sapphire Stakes when he was caught on the fence on the final stretch.
In trying to shuffle back away from the guard rails, the horse moved sharply in towards the pack and subsequently bumped Ken’s Dream off his line.
Flying Artie won the race, but Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey was less than pleased with the jockey’s effort, saying that Oliver made “a short, sharp” move to get off the fence and that it was intentional.
“Your actions are in our view reckless, outing the safety of both Dean Yendall and Ken’s Dream at high risk,” Bailey said.
Damien Oliver lodges appeal against reckless riding ban. https://t.co/RsOmdqSXdc pic.twitter.com/6XEV6iIR4e
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 13, 2016
Oliver was quick to fire back.
“I certainly won’t be pleading guilty to reckless riding, Olivers” he told Bailey.
“I have been riding nearly 30 years and never been charged under this rule and I certainly don’t think it was reckless.
“I’m stuck on the fence behind stablemates on a short-priced favourite, you and the punters would be asking ‘what are you doing?'”
The suspension would see him ruled out of racing right up until November 1, which just so happens to be Melbourne Cup day.
Though he would miss very financially beneficial rides at the Cox Plate and Derby Day, the suspension won’t begin until Saturday night, meaning he can still run with Exospheric in the Caulfield Cup earlier that same day.
Oliver’s official appeal will be heard within the next few days and a decision should be made shortly after.
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