KATSIDIS APPEALS SUSPENSION - FREE TO RIDE AT GRAFTON

By Graham Potter | Monday, July 13, 2009

Jockey Stathi Katsidis has appealed a seven-meeting suspension he received when he was found guilty on a careless riding charge last Wednesday. The charge came after Katsidis’ race-winning ride on the Barry Baldwin trained Cicarelli who won the last race of the day at Eagle Farm to present Katsidis with his first winner back following a long layoff from race-riding.

Katsidis booted home three winners at Toowoomba on Saturday and he is now free to take that form to the Grafton Carnival where he will be riding this week.

Stathi Katsidis: “I have appealed my suspension. There were contributing factors to the incident. The horse pretty well stopped dead in front of me and I had to make my mind up pretty quickly what I was going to do. I clipped heels and was nearly going to fall, so I think I was justified in my actions ... and I wasn’t careless.

“The Stewards saw it differently. That’s what the Appeals Panel is there for. So I’ve appealed and got a stay of proceedings. The appeal won’t be heard this week, it will be the week after. So I will be riding at Grafton this week. I’ve got a really good ride in the Grafton Cup.”

The original report from the Stewards Report Extract of the day reads:
S. Katsidis, rider of Cicarelli, was found guilty of a charge of careless riding, in that near the 400m he allowed his mount to shift out, which resulted in Strawberry Ripple (R. Wiggins) being checked. As a consequence of Strawberry Ripple being checked, Tactalso suffered interference. S. Katsidis was suspended from riding in races for a period covered by 7 meetings, to commence at midnight, 11 July and to expire at midnight, 24 July 2009.

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