Hall of Fame jockey Hugh Bowman’s wish for the Spring Carnival was hit hard after he was banned for 20 days for his ride on Farnan in Rosehill last Saturday.
Racing NSW stewards found Bowman guilty at a lengthy hearing Thursday on charges of the Run To The Rose Golden Slipper winner.
Bowman confirmed immediately after the decision that he would appeal the verdict.
The indictment states: “A rider must take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that the rider’s horse has the full chance to win or get the best possible spot in the field.”
Farnan led the field in Group 2 before taking a stab in the straight and finishing fifth when Queensland star Rothfire overtook them.
It was Bowman’s first day in the saddle after banning his role in the Hot ‘N’ Hazy case in late July for six weeks.
Hugh Bowman won the Golden Slipper with Farnan. Photo: Jenny Evans / Getty Images
If Bowman cannot overturn the decision, he will be suspended from Sunday, September 27th and will be free to ride again on Everest Day on October 17th.
It would mean he’d miss four Group 1s – the Epsom Handicap, The Metropolitan, Flight Stakes, and Spring Champion Stakes, but the chance to take part in Sydney’s $ 15 million showpiece remains on the table.
Bowman pleaded not guilty to the charges after the stewards struggled with Bowman’s energetic riding from the barriers to the 400-meter mark.
Chief steward Marc Van Gestel described the ride on race day as “as aggressive as I’ve seen you on a horse out the gates” and picked up the same question on Thursday when he was producing data of the run from the Daily Sectionals website.
Queenslander !! Rothfire wins the Run To The Rose! pic.twitter.com/HLJ80842D2
– Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 12, 2020
The data showed that Farnan had run 12.8 lengths faster than the 1200 to 400 m average.
By comparison, Haut Brion Her ran 9.8 lengths above average in the same section of the race when she later won the 1200m on the map.
Bowman firmly believed that the data did not take into account the horse’s racing manners during the race.
“What can’t be determined for all the math ingenuity is how the horse moves under me,” said Bowman.
At the start of the investigation, Bowman said he made an early decision to take the lead while admitting that he didn’t want to go that fast, but rather wondered with hindsight whether Farnan would have won the race.
“He probably wouldn’t have beaten Rothfire in all seriousness, but had he come back a little and relaxed for me it wouldn’t have looked so bad,” said Bowman.
“I do my best to stabilize, relax and slow it down.
“If I start fighting him to slow him down, it won’t help him finish the race.”
Bowman was firmly convinced that he had done his best to hold Farnan back without affecting the horse’s rhythm when questioned by Van Gestel, who said he should have tried to slow Farnan down sooner.
Adrian Bott was asked for his opinion on the ride and the assistant coach insisted the stable trusted Bowman’s judgment, who had helped Tulloch Lodge deliver another Golden Slipper earlier this year.
“Under these circumstances, we have always been guided by Hugh’s judgment,” said Bott.
Bott confirmed that Farnan was “well dressed” from the run and had resumed normal work.
Farnan was a driving favorite from $ 2.10 to $ 2.40 in the last 30 minutes of betting, but the stewards attributed the drift to a massive attempt by rival Colt North Pacific.
They ruled out suspicious betting activity.
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