Champion jockey James McDonald has been successful in having his suspension reduced for a whipping offense on appeal and will now be free to ride at the Silver Slipper meeting at Rosehill.
Racing NSW stewards suspended McDonald for 10 days and fined him $20,000 for excessive use of the whip aboard the Chris Waller-trained Fireball in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.
He was found to have used the whip nine times prior to the 100 metres, four times more than allowed under the Australian Rules of Racing, and twenty times in total.
Hoop expressed surprise at the penalty during the stewards’ inquiry on race day, describing it as “harsh”, and subsequently appealed, which was heard by the Racing NSW Appeals Panel on Wednesday.
The hearing lasted just under two hours, with the stewards’ argument focusing on the fact that McDonald’s violation occurred on a young, inexperienced horse.
However, after deliberation, the panel ruled that his suspension was reduced from ten days to six, and his fine was doubled to $40,000.
Sydney’s reigning premier will now be free to compete in the important Silver Slipper and Hobartville Stakes program at Rosehill on February 21 and will not miss Saturday’s metropolitan meeting.
This weekend he will be in action at Randwick, where glamor mare Autumn Glow will star in the Apollo Stakes (1400m).
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