Another Melbourne Cup Carnival has been and gone, and the team at Punt Drunk are paddock bound in a couple of weeks.
However, we still have a bumper Group 1 raceday at Caulfield to get through, as well as three massive Group 1’s across the Nullabor in WA beginning next weekend.
Tyler Schiller somehow escapes suspension
If you are ever in need of a lawyer, employ the guy who represented Tyler Schiller during the week at an appeals hearing.
The young jockey was the topic of a controversial ride on Strait Acer in the Golden Eagle won by Obamburumai.
Schiller’s mount shifted in abruptly in the home straight, taking out race favourite Amelia’s Jewel in the process.
The incident left Damian Lane on board Amelia’s Jewel saying “glad I came back to the jockey’s room alive”.
The horse didn’t get through unscathed either, with WA’s superstar mare needing stitches to a laceration to her near-fore fetlock.
Despite ‘Frosty’ Lane being grateful to be alive, Schiller got cleared of any wrongdoing.
Amelia’s Jewel’s connections were not too pleased with the outcome on Monday.
I know jockeys make mistakes but precedents need to be set especially in these huge prizemoney races, our horse had her legs taken from under her and how she is ok is a Miracle, but we will move on, disappointed with this decision it was light anyway.
— Amelia Park Racing (@amelia_racing) November 14, 2023
Let us know your thoughts about the decision in the comments box below!
Can Ollie end his Melbourne career in style?
Saturday’s meeting at Caulfield will be the final time, the G.O.A.T, Damien Oliver rides in Victoria.
Ollie has ridden 405 winners at Caulfield throughout his career and will partner Vibrant Sun in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) and Vilana in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
Those two runners can cause minor upsets in their respective races, but Ollie looks set to farewell Melbourne in style in the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m).
Oliver will partner the Michael Freedman-trained Queen Of The Ball in the final race of the day, with the pair looking to build on their last start win in the Group 3 Begonia Belle Stakes (1100m) during Melbourne Cup week.
His mount is the second favourite in the race with online betting sites, but come Saturday at 5:40pm AEDT, the sentimental money will come late, and if the script writers have a sense of occasion, Queen Of The Ball will send the Caulfield crowd into pandemonium.
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk – our weekly column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
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