Hugh Bowman cops big ban for Melbourne Cup runner-up ride
Hugh Bowman has copped a massive suspension for his ride on Melbourne Cup runner-up Marmelo.
The star jockey, who has made his name riding Winx to glory, faced three charges after securing the $1 million prize for finishing second in Australia’s greatest race.
Bowman pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge, another charge of using the whip more than allowed before the 100m mark and another of weighing in 1kg over his allotted weight on Marmelo.
He was suspended for 12 meetings for careless riding, eight meetings on the whip ruling and 21 meetings for returning overweight.
Racing Victoria stewards said the bans were to be served cumulatively before reducing it from 41 days to 35, making it a calendar month.
Bowman’s ban starts after he rides Zapurler in the VRC Oaks in Thursday’s Group One feature race at Flemington.
He will miss the start of a Japan stint scheduled to begin on November 24 and deny him the chance to defend the Japan Cup on November 25, while also forfeiting local Group One rides.
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The suspension will not affect Bowman’s commitments with Winx, with the all-conquering mare’s spring campaign already over.
“We admire your horsemanship and your ability to ride but that wasn’t up to scratch,” chief steward Robert Cram told Bowman.
The second-place finish atop the Hughie Morrison-trained Marmelo is the closest that Australia’s premier Group One jockey has come to winning the Melbourne Cup.
“He ran his race,” Bowman said in the immediate aftermath.
“(I’m) disappointed, but proud of the horse. Congratulations to Hughie for bringing him over in such good order.”
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy was among five other jockeys fined for excessive whip use in the race.
McEvoy was fined $3000, Regan Bayliss $1500, Dwayne Dunn and Damian Lane $800 and Michael Walker $400.
The decision to target the Melbourne Cup fresh this year almost achieved the dream result for connections of the English-trained horse Marmelo.
And despite coming so close to winning Australia’s most famous race in his second attempt with Marmelo, Morrison was understandably proud at the performance of the stayer to run second to the younger and lighter-weighted Cross Counter.
Marmelo saved ground on the inside from back in the field turning for home and then hit the front inside the final 200m before the Charlie Appleby-trained Cross Counter charged by him late to win by a length.
“Great ride. Great horse. He came virtually from last to nearly first,” Morrison said.
“He came through beautifully, chased down the leading horse (A Prince Of Arran) and then just got run down.
“It’s fantastic to be second in the Melbourne Cup. But to be second when you’re nearly there…but great credit to Charlie (Appleby).
“I always thought he was the horse to worry about. A (northern hemisphere) three-year-old. Marmelo has run his heart out.”
Morrison brought Marmelo to Australia last year and the horse ran an eye-catching sixth in the Caulfield Cup before starting equal favourite in that year’s Melbourne Cup.
He didn’t repeat his Caulfield performance in the 2017 Melbourne Cup, finishing ninth.
Connections learned from that experience and went into Tuesday’s race without an Australian lead-up run.
Morrison admitted it was only for a split second that he thought Marmelo might have been going to win when he made his charge closest to the inside.
“I wasn’t sure at first we were going to run down the third horse (A Prince Of Arran) and then when we went past him I just saw the red cap (of Cross Counter) coming,” he said.
“It’s a great thrill to achieve as much as we have done. Everyone has done a great job.”
Morrison said he would love to come back for another crack at the Melbourne Cup, hopefully with Marmelo.
“I think we certainly should consider it,” he said.
with AAP