CRAIG WILLIAMS - WIN SOME, LOSE SOME

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Top jockey Craig Williams’ off the track activities in the last week must have left the rider’s head spinning. His fortune has taken a dive, recovered and then plummeted down again as the hoop battled two charges brought against him by Racing Victoria Stewards.

Last Wednesday at Moonee Valley Williams gained the dubious distinction of being the first jockey in Victoria to be suspended under the new whip rules. Jockeys are restricted to using the whip no more than five times up until the 100m mark. Williams pleaded guilty to hitting Flying Tessie ten times before the 100m mark and he was duly suspended for four meetings which, at that stage, would have seen him miss minor meetings and leave him free to return the following Saturday on Caulfield Guineas day. For the record, Flying Tessie finished fourth.

Williams might have been the first rider in Victoria to be suspended on the whip rule transgression, but he was not the first rider to breech the rule. When Williams compared his penalty to that received by his major rival Damian Oliver - Oliver was fined $400 for hitting his mount Clearway (who finished eighth) nine times before the 100m in a race - Williams felt aggrieved. He appealed the severity of his penalty.

That appeal was set down for Monday, October 5. With that appeal pending, Williams rode at Flemington on Saturday where he again fell foul of the Stewards in an incident that occurred at the 1600 in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes when Williams allowed Maldivian to shift in when not sufficiently clear of Predatory Pricer. The move caused interference to a number of runners.

Williams was charged on Saturday, but was granted a stay of proceedings until Tuesday, October 6. That meant Williams would start the week with his appeal hearing on Monday and do a quick back-up on Tuesday to defend the Maldivian charge.

Monday was a good day for Williams. He won his appeal against the severity of his sentence (the four meeting suspension) for his whip use on Flying Tessie. The suspension was waived and replaced by a fine of $500.00.

Tuesday was a bad day for Williams. He was found guilty of a careless riding charge aboard Maldivian and suspended for ten meetings. The suspension will come into effect after Saturday’s meeting where Williams is free to ride Trusting in the $1 million Caulfield Guineas.

After the meeting a Caulfield on Saturday, Williams can only resume at Geelong on October 21, which means he will miss next week’s Group 1Thousand Guineas (where Williams is booked to ride My Emotion) and the Caulfield Cup (where Williams currently has the ride on Vigor). That is unless Williams appeals his latest sentence to set up another showdown with the Appeals Board.

Williams has two days in which to make that decision.

More articles