Good News As Jones Cleared

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday March 5, 2003

Dave Murray

BATTLING Warwick Farm jockey Terry Jones finally received some good news yesterday when he was cleared of a handling charge by NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board stipendiary stewards.

Jones had been booked with failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure Sadarar finished in the best possible position in the Hylands Race Colours Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 25.

Sadarar finished third behind Archave and Imperatrix after coming from nearly last on the home turn.

Stewards deemed Jones had failed to take a split between runners at the top of the straight and had only given Sadarar full rein when pulled to the outside at the 200m mark.

But after evidence from the horse's trainer Paul Cave yesterday, the charge was dropped.

``At the end of the day the main reasons they let me off was that I rode to instructions for one, and that I didn't take any ground off the winner when the horse really did get out," Jones said last night.

The decision was at least some good news at the end of a horror five weeks for the Kembla Grange regular.

Jones, who is serving a four-week suspension for failing to ride out his mount Nanduti Grace (fourth) to the line at Randwick last Wednesday, was recently served with legal papers regarding the three-horse fall at Randwick in October 1999 which badly injured fellow rider Kevin Moses.

``This (Sadarar) is a big load off my mind," Jones said.

``I'm doing the month but I certainly didn't want that charge against my name.

``I'm going to have a break for a couple of weeks now and get back to trackwork two weeks before the 30th to make sure I'm fit enough.

``Hopefully I can enjoy some good luck next time."

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Legally Bay Slipper support

WORTH noting the heavy Golden Slipper support for John Hawkes' filly Legally Bay after her unlucky third to Hasna in the Silver Slipper at Rosehill last Saturday.

TAB Ltd firmed Legally Bay from $21 in to $9 in fixed odds after a flood of support for the youngster.

And don't be surprised to hear that another filly, Subscribe, also firms in sharply from her advertised $26 quote.

A brilliant winner of the Listed Veuve Clicquot Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday, Subscribe has been described as the best Zabeel two-year-old since the mighty Octagonal.

And if that's not a big enough rap, a reported $1.1 million offer to buy her yearling full-sister has been ignored.

The youngster, out of 1998 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Danelagh, has been entered for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Newmarket.

If Subscribe lives up to her potential over the autumn carnival, how much is little sis going to make?

And be sure to catch the opening race event at Canterbury Park tomorrow night, a race featuring the debuts of at least three Golden Slipper hopefuls.

Mail for Tim Martin's Exceed And Excel has been around for months, while Resistor and Freeze are both recent barrier trial winners that have been specked in early Slipper betting.

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No sorrow for Bowie backers

MS Bowie found some of her spring form when she bolted in at Randwick on February 22 and that's good enough to suggest she'll be hard to beat in today's Gosford Guineas.

The giant Allan Denham-trained filly, runner-up to Victory Vein in last year's Tea Rose Stakes at Rosehill, should appreciate 1600m even if the tight Central Coast circuit doesn't prove ideal.

Fine Society is the query runner. A last-start winner over Umaris at Rosehill, the John Hawkes-trained galloper has a stack of ability but hasn't run for seven weeks.