Luke Currie after winning the 2017 Manikato Stakes (Image: Racing Photos)
The controversy continued well after the Group 1 Manikato Stakes protest as stewards went whack on the infamous incident that left connections waiting in suspense for Hey Doc to finally be awarded a second G1 victory
Stewards charged winning Manikato jockey Luke Currie with careless riding for shifting in at the 900m mark when not clear and failing to provide sufficient room for Vega Magic and In Her Time, directly to his inside.
Currie was handed a 10-meeting suspension to commence Saturday night which will allow him to be back riding on Melbourne Cup Day. Currie agreed it was a ‘very fair’ decision and will be pleased to be free to ride Bring Me Roses in Thursday week’s Kennedy Oaks.
WATCH: Hey Doc win the Manikato Stakes
Manikato Stakes runner-up Corey Brown was also in the firing line for his ride on In Her Time but narrowly escaped a suspension, with stewards severely reprimanding him for shifting out and onto Vega Magic in the straight. Racing Victoria Chief Steward Terry Bailey said the incident was ‘as close as you can go without suspension’.
More fallout from the incident saw In Her Time pull a plate when hampered – a significant factor in the protest that Brown put forth.
Also from the stewards’ room earlier in the evening, Chris Symons was outed for seven meetings for his ride aboard Essence Of Terror in Race 5.