Another Steward that knows all about riding a horse!

[Chief Stipe]

Melham cops ban after G1 win

www.racing.com

Champion jockey Ben Melham told Racing Victoria stewards that, despite trying, he couldn't stop Griff from veering out over the closing stages of the Caulfield Guineas as the horse had spotted a guy on a ladder near the winning post which spooked him.

RV stewards still suspended Melham for 10 meetings for causing interference over the final 100 metres when insufficiently clear of Veight, Steparty, King Colorado and Verdad.

The suspension begins after next Saturday’s Caulfield Cup meeting on October 21 and ends at midnight on Monday, October 30, allowing him to be back for the Bendigo Cup.

Melham pleaded not guilty and told the stewards that Griff was spooked and, despite his attempts to straighten him up, he didn’t react immediately.

The Caulfield Guineas from the Best Bets Chopper Cam 🚁 pic.twitter.com/erQUHpvtF5

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 14, 2023

“I couldn’t do any more. I was steering left and he kept running out, so I tried to correct him with my left hand,” Melham said.

“He ran out underneath me sharply and he continued to shift as I tried to straighten. Clearly the horse is spooked and that’s not careless, that’s a horse spooking and a rider doing his utmost to protect his other riders. I plead not guilty.”

Melham said it was clear Griff had reacted to the person on the ladder and was spooked by it.

Will we hear more from the stewards' room? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/nVvFJDrhWK

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 14, 2023

"My first reaction was a couple of hits with the whip on the right-hand side, maybe to stop him from spooking further out and running out. That was my first resort, that didn’t work, and then I went to use my left hand down.”

“He (Griff) just hasn’t listened to me one bit, I put the blame on him.”

 “As soon as I felt him shift, I took evasive action with my left-hand rein down; he had his head turned sideways and he still continued to run out.”

RV chief steward Rob Montgomery told Melham he should have done more to straighten his mount and should have put the whip away in order to protect his fellow riders.

Melham was also fined $1000 for two consecutive whip strikes prior to the 100 metres mark on Griff.

 

 

[holy ravioli]

Probably would have been relegated in...NZ.

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, holy ravioli said:

Probably would have been relegated in...NZ.

Why?

[Gammalite]

just as well all horses don't change ground on their own like that . would be a bit chaotic lol..

Bloke on a ladder ? can't see him in the overhead ?.

I can't remember blokes on ladders on the in-field at Caulfield anytime. ya wouldn't think in this day and age,  they would be that silly 😁. 

looks like he gave the 2nd , 3rd and 4th placegetters a bit of a fright himself anyway... sometimes horses can get on the wrong leg , or run erratic if they feel like it . like any good teenager lol...

[Freda]

8 hours ago, Gammalite said:

just as well all horses don't change ground on their own like that . would be a bit chaotic lol..

Bloke on a ladder ? can't see him in the overhead ?.

I can't remember blokes on ladders on the in-field at Caulfield anytime. ya wouldn't think in this day and age,  they would be that silly 😁. 

looks like he gave the 2nd , 3rd and 4th placegetters a bit of a fright himself anyway... sometimes horses can get on the wrong leg , or run erratic if they feel like it . like any good teenager lol...

Not sure about the 'silly' comment....was only five years ago that 2 year old trials were to be run on the CP with sprinklers going just inside the inside rail.   

We didn't think that was particularly bright.  After a fair bit of comment, they were eventually turned off before the heats.