Corey Bayliss hit with six-week suspension for mid-race blunder on Tumbler

[Ulquiorra]

APPRENTICE Corey Bayliss was handed a six-week suspension after stewards deemed his decision to stay inside horses cost Tumbler the Open Handicap at Doomben.

Bayliss pleaded guilty under rule AR135 (b), for not taking all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure Tumbler was given full opportunity to win.

“I’m guilty of making the wrong decision in the race,” Bayliss said. “I’ve been asking myself since it happened. All I had to do was go to the outside, but I didn’t.

“I don’t have a reason. I didn’t do it on purpose. I just wanted to wait until I straightened up. I would have won if I took the run.”

Bayliss is on loan to Tumbler’s trainer Barry Lockwood, who urged stewards to take into consideration the rider is still a 3kg claiming apprentice in the city.

“He made the wrong move, it wasn’t deliberate. He made a mistake. There was nothing untoward,” Lockwood said.

Acting chief steward Daniel Aurisch said Bayliss’ inexperience was considered, but the fact he had a previous charge under this rule also had to be taken into account.

“It would be a lot more severe if a senior rider made the mistake … but people would be expecting a ride of a certain standard,” he said. “We are not suggesting you have done this on purpose (but) there was clearly an opportunity to improve soon after straightening.

“There’s a number of strides where you can go for that run.”

EVEREST PICTURE CLEARER
THE puzzle of this year’s $13 million The Everest is almost complete, with only two to three slots still available.

If Chautauqua comes through a Sydney trial tomorrow in good shape, he will run for the same slot he did last year.

That leaves just James Harron (last year’s winner) and the ATC to allocate slots.

It’s a curious situation. At the same time last year, how many people would have had The Everest trifecta at the top of their picks?

Redzel was still considered “second tier,” even though he’d won the Doomben 10,000, Vega Magic was a Goodwood winner and Brave Smash was unraced in Australia.

It makes you think Harron in particular — the ATC may have other factors at play — is well placed to secure another prime candidate. Just who that is remains to be seen.

One potential candidate is Kementari, who is set to trial against Winx, Chautauqua and four other Group 1 winners in the opening trial at Rosehill on Monday.

Godolphin’s Australian manager Vin Cox said the camp was open to The Everest discussions.

“He will run first-up in the Missile Stakes, second-up in the Memsie and that will be the fork in the road,” Cox said. “If there’s a slot still left and someone wants to talk to us, then we would definitely be interested.”

MURPHY’S SUPER SATURDAY
APPRENTICE Jackson Murphy announced his arrival to the metropolitan scene by breaking his Saturday city duck with a winning double on San Telmo and Pressway at Doomben.

Murphy opened the account when San Telmo outclassed his rivals to win the Benchmark 80 (2200m) in the opening event. He then came from well back again to weave a path on Pressway, who gunned down Cedarwood in the final 50m.

Murphy is from Wauchope on the NSW north coast and he transferred to Chris Anderson at Eagle Farm eight months ago. His career tally of winners is now 126 and he still has two years to run on his apprenticeship.

Anderson restricted him to the provincial circuit, where he still has a 1½kg claim, before opening the door for a city opportunity.

“This is my third meeting now (on a Saturday) and I’m very happy to have got that first one out of the way,” Murphy said.

Trainer Steve O’Dea said Pressway was a far superior horse when ridden quietly, which is the option they took yesterday after riding him forward from wide gates in his previous two starts.

San Telmo is a rising eight-year-old in the care of John Symons and Sheila Laxon, having been previously trained by Anthony Cummings, Brad Smith and Garry Smith.

He hadn’t won since January last year, but relished the drop in grade and came from the back to win easily.

Laxon said San Telmo had troublesome legs but a sustained program of swimming had worked wonders and had helped him back to peak form.

BROWNE HURTS JAW
DAMIAN Browne will seek medical advice this week to determine the extent of an injury he suffered to his jaw after a horse threw its head in his face at trackwork on Saturday morning.

Browne was stood down from his Doomben commitments after fearing the jaw may be broken. Browne’s manager Glen Courtney said the popular jockey was worried he will need surgery.

O’DEA BUILDS UP WELL OVER YEAR
PRESSWAY and Tabbing’s race-to-race wins at Doomben put the icing on Steve O’Dea’s best year since moving to Brisbane.

O’Dea has moved to Eagle Farm’s on-course stables and has increased his numbers from 24 to 46 boxes, with the results shining through in a season where he has led in 72 winners.

“We had a few good months to start the season. I set a bit of a goal to train five winners a month and we’ve been tracking on about six a month,” he said.

“Admittedly, we’ve had more runners, but we’ve been lucky enough to be getting very good support from a lot of owners, including the likes of Proven Thoroughbreds.”

Yesterday’s double took O’Dea’s season earnings to $2.2 million – well up on the $1.3 million his 50 winners netted in 2016-17.

FANCY THAT WHEN STEWART RIDES
MAN of the moment Brad Stewart is set to press the pause button on his recent hot streak by taking a week off. Stewart will miss one Saturday as he takes a short holiday before trying to pick up again from a magnificent few weeks.

His win on Natch took his July tally to 17 wins from just 35 rides. On horses starting $3.50 or shorter in that time, his record is eight from nine.

Stewart tipped a bright future for Natch. “He’s gone to another level this horse,” he said.