BRENTON Avdulla’s chances of riding in the Melbourne Cup appear slim after the jockey was suspended for his ride on Evalina at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Avdulla was suspended for four meetings from Sunday November 4 until Thursday November 15, which will allow him to fulfil his Derby Day commitments but would rule him out of Cup week.
Avdulla was booked to ride Latrobe in the Cup, but the Joseph O’Brien-trained stayer was withdrawn last week after connections felt the Irish horse wasn’t ready for the 3200m.
Brenton Avdulla was suspended for four meetings at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
Avdulla booted home five winners at Canterbury on Friday night, then won the final race at Randwick on Godolphin galloper Coruscate.
“I went there to Canterbury thinking I could ride a couple and came away with five,’’ Avdulla said. “I came here today thinking I could the do the same but I think I ended up with five or six placings and one winner. That’s racing, Sydney is very competitive, I am very lucky that I am riding for some good stables.’’
Shinn backs banned family
Star jockey Blake Shinn took to Twitter to defend trainers Lee and Shannon Hope after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) confirmed an original guilty verdict against the pair for administering cobalt-related substances to three horses.
“My family are honest, respectful and hardworking country people who have devoted their life to the thoroughbred industry. They have tried to fight for their livelihoods since 2014 because they are innocent of any wrongdoing. It breaks me to see what’s happened to them,” Shinn tweeted. Shannon was originally issued a five-year ban while his father copped three years. VCAT will host another hearing in relation to these penalties.
My family are honest, respectful & hard working country people, who have devoted their life to the Thoroughbred Industry. They have tried to fight for their livelihoods since 2014 because they are innocent of any wrongdoing. It’s breaks me to see what’s happened to them. #wrong
Huge wager safe with Winx
The biggest bet on Winx was placed on Saturday and it was $201,200 at $1.22. There were several wagers of $100,000 or more on the great mare. And they were counting their money at the 600m. She won it easy and is the greatest since Kingston Town and in the top handful of horses to ever race in Australia. Her rivals were lucky there wasn’t a lot of pressure in the race or she would’ve won by much further.
Logan colourful in father’s silks
If young Logan King has his way the next generation will continue to flock to the races. The young Mudgee boy was taken to Randwick yesterday to watch Bezel compete and he couldn’t resist dressing up in the silks of the horse his father, Dylan, co-owns. The Everest is bringing through the next generation but the one after isn’t far behind.
Logan King cheers on dad Dylan’s horse Bezel at Randwick.Source:The Sunday Telegraph
Shining night
The ATC must be applauded for helping attract 5,062 race fans to Canterbury’s first summer night meeting on Friday. It was a bigger crowd than the corresponding meeting last year and we’re set for a bumper summer of night racing at the track.
It just shows what can happen if you make something attractable for fans. It’s cheap and there’s plenty of family entertainment on show away from the track and the jockeys regular interact with the crowd, signing autographs. How many will be there the night Hugh Bowman turns up to interact with the fans?
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Brenton Avdulla said Zourkhan needed a wet track after it ran fourth at Randwick when shooting for three-straight wins. He was also caught in a sticky spot on settling which had him further forward than intended. “I was instructed to be third or fourth with cover,” he told stewards. “The speed wasn’t great and I would’ve had to jam on the break to get back behind them.”
Harker win down to Quinn
It was a good training performance by Marc Quinn to get Mina Harker to win the Highway Handicap as an $11 chance. He said three weeks ago that he’s give her a run at Taree (October 19) so she’d peak for the $75,000 race on Saturday.
Waller breaks down after win0:00
Horse Racing: Chris Waller has broken down after his superstar horse Winx won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Cox Plate.
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The inquiry in betting records of last’s week’s Tattersalls Club Cup in which Exoteric beat highly fancied stablemate High Bridge is still ongoing. It takes a while to get all that information off all the bookies.
Auvray on track for Cup
Melbourne Cup hopeful Auvray had a 2000m track gallop in between races at Randwick yesterday and jockey Tommy Berry was impressed with his progress heading into the big race in 10 days’ time. He ran the trip in an easy 2.30.66. “He was nice. He’s a pretty laid back horse by himself but he was just out there for a bit of fitness work, not to run any quick times,” Berry said. “He pulled up quite well and they suggested that we may run him in the Lexus but he pulled up so well that he might not need it.”
Grass to only get greener
The Kensington track has passed all its tests to date but the course still has some time before it’s in its peak condition according to track manager Nevesh Ramdhani. “The grass is still juvenile and in 18 months it will be fully mature,” he said. “In some areas it’s less than 12 months old.”
HORSES TO FOLLOW: Spectroscope (improver next start), Evalina (a bit luckless), Aqua D’ivina (Melbourne)
ONES TO SACK: Mother To Race Her (off the pace), Zoukhan (only on a wet track)
RIDE OF THE DAY: Jason Collett on Aqua D’ivina (he’s such a composed rider)
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “All the jockeys (in Sydney) are so excited about it and you just don’t see that with any other horse,” said Tommy Berry regarding’s Winx’s Cox Plate run.
Originally published as Avdulla’s Cup week hopes fade after suspension
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