Sydney trainer Joe Pride has Hong Kong based jockey Nash Rawiller waiting on standby to ride Manikato Stakes favourite Terravista on Friday night if Hugh Bowman fails in his appeal against a twenty meeting suspension handed down by Racing Victoria Stewards at Caulfield last Saturday.
Nash Rawiller is on standby to ride Terravista in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Steve Hart.
Bowman was charged with improper riding for an incident at the 1500m in the Group 3 $750,000 racing.com Caulfield Classic (2000m) and is out until midnight November 5, the day after the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington if his appeal on Tuesday is dismissed.
The leading Sydney jockey had already been booked to ride Terravista in the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night and Pride thinks it is unfair to the connections that Bowman’s suspension was set to start immediately.
“I don’t understand why the connections have to be punished when they have a jockey engaged for a race,’’ Pride told the Herald Sun.
“We are not talking about a month out from a race, the Manikato is just days away.
“This puts so many people out just to punish a jockey. Who is the winner in that?’’
The rule in New South Wales states that a suspended jockey can fulfil any prior engagements up to nine days before his time out begins where as in Victoria the suspension starts almost immediately.
Terravista is one of the new stars of the Pride stable after rising up through the ranks with eight wins from eleven starts.
The Captain Rio five year old has been in dynamic form at his two Spring starts with a two lengths win in the Group 3 $125,000 Show County Quality (1200m) at Randwick on August 23 following by a win with a similar margin in the Group 2 $200,000 Bowermans Office Furniture Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on September 20.
His Sydney form sees Terravista at the head of the market order for the Manikato Stakes at $3.60 with Ladbrokes.com.au, just ahead of the Team Hawkes trained Chautauqua ($3.80) who has also been in the winner’s stall at his two starts up the Flemington straight.
Chautauqua scored a very impressive first up win in the Group 3 $150,000 Bobby Lewis Quality (1200m) on September 13 and then blew the opposition away with a four length demolition in the Group 2 $200,000 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) on October 4.
Last season’s sprinting sensation Lankan Rupee is next in the betting at $4.20 with Group 1 Moir Stakes winner Buffering marked at $6.
