Elite rider James McDonald succeeded in reducing his whip breach penalty through an appeal process, making him available for the Silver Slipper program at Rosehill.
Racing NSW authorities imposed a 10-day suspension and $20,000 fine on McDonald due to whip overuse riding the Chris Waller runner Fireball in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) from Randwick on Saturday.
Rulings showed nine whip uses prior to the 100m, four over the Australian Rules of Racing cap, amounting to 20 in all.
The jockey conveyed his dismay at the sanction during the stewards’ hearing that day, deeming it “harsh”, and then pursued an appeal before the Racing NSW Appeals Panel on Wednesday.
The proceeding took under two hours, as stewards highlighted the fault with an unseasoned, young horse.
Upon weighing the evidence, the Panel lowered the ban from 10 to six days while doubling the fine to $40,000.
The season’s premier Sydney jockey gets to ride in the vital Silver Slipper and Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill on February 21, with no Saturday metropolitan meetings lost.
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The post James McDonald free to ride on Silver Slipper Day first appeared on Just Horse Racing.