Top Sydney jockey Glyn Schofield is clear to ride Hay List in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington this week end after being suspended at Rosehill on Saturday.
Schofield is considering an appeal against a nine meeting suspension which is not due to start until after the Flemington meeting on Saturday enabling him to ride Hay List in the Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m).
Schofield left Rosehill on Saturday a dejected man after being slammed twice by Stewards for his ride on Manawanui in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m).
Manawanui was first over the line in a tight finish in the Hobartville just ahead of Wild And Proud whose jockey Nash Rawiller quickly fired in an objection to Stewards as soon as he returned to weigh in.
Rawiller claimed Schofield on Manawanui crowded him over the final 50m causing interference to his mount which cost him the race.
Racing New South Wales Stewards agreed with Rawiller and promoted the Gai Waterhouse trained Wild And Proud to first spot ahead of Manawanui.
At a subsequent inquiry Stewards also found Schofield guilty for careless riding for the same incident and suspended him for nine meetings.
“I’ve got to consider an appeal,” Schofield said.
“Obviously it’s disappointing. I lost a race in the stewards’ room and now I’m going to lose the mount on one of the two horses I really enjoy riding.”
Schofield argued that the Peter Moody trained Moment Of Change added to the interference by moving out from the inside but Stewards maintained that Manawanui was the main contributor to the incident.
“I don’t believe that enough contribution was appointed to Moment Of Change who bumped Hot Snitzel on two occasions,” Schofield Said.
If Schofield appeals and loses he will miss the ride on Manawanui in the Group 1 $500,000 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick on March 17.
Saturday’s relegation of Manawanui to second position was the three year olds second disappointment from two runs this campaign.
At Warwick Farm two weeks prior Manawanui was desperately held up for a run in the straight and flashed home to go under by a head to Hot Snitzel in the Group 2 $175,000 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at his first run back from a spell.
Nathan Berry was also suspended for six meetings for causing interference in the Group 2 $200,000 Patinack Farm Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) when he allowed his mount Collect to shift in at the 900m causing Assassinate to be inconvenienced.
And at Flemington jockey Steven King was suspended for nine meetings for causing Damien Oliver on Golden Penny to check and dip in the Group 3 $150,000 PFD Food Services Stakes (1400m).
Oliver was lucky to escape from a second fall in as many days after having a heavy tumble at Moonee Valley the night before on the ill-fated Like An Eagle.
