Champion mare Winx will need a new partner for her return in next month's Apollo Stakes after Hugh Bowman was suspended at the Karaka Millions meeting in New Zealand on Saturday.
It was the world's best jockey's second suspension in 24 hours after he was given seven meetings for careless riding at Warwick Farm on Friday. Bowman had altered the starting date of the suspension in an effort to stay on Winx for her scheduled February 17 reappearance, however, he then got eight meetings for causing interference at Ellerslie.
Now, even if he starts the Sydney suspension after riding in Hong Kong on Sunday, the earliest Bowman could return would be February 22.
"I won't be appealing it and I expect her [Winx] to start as planned on the 17th and I won't be riding her, which will be a strange experience," Bowman told press in New Zealand. " I don't know who will be next in line but Chris [Waller] will work something out."
It soured a successful day for Bowman, who won the Westbury Classic on Thee Auld Floozie and had two seconds at the rich meeting, including finishing runner-up on Al Hasa to Avantage in the feature race, the Karaka Million.
Who will ride Winx will be a point of debate with frontrunner Kerrin McEvoy committed to ride The Everest winner Redzel in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 17.
Jason Collett and Larry Cassidy are the only available Australia-based jockeys to have won on Winx, with Tommy Berry, who rides in Hong Kong, and James McDonald, who is serving a disqualification, the other hoops to score a victory on the mare.
It will be high-pressure job to fill Bowman's boots and extend the three-time Cox Plate winner's unbeaten run to 23 in the Apollo Stakes.
A jockey will be also need to be found to ride Golden Slipper favourite Performer at his autumn return in the Canonbury Stakes next Saturday.
The two suspensions leave Bowman walking a tightrope for the remainder of the autumn. Under the Sydney rules, he will have a loading on any future suspension due to his bad record.
When it became clear Bowman was going to be suspended in New Zealand, stewards across the Tasman made contact with Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel and Bowman made an application to change the starting date of his suspension. He had been scheduled to go to Warwick Farm after next Saturday's Expressway Stakes meeting.
"The stewards in New Zealand wanted to confirm the starting date for Hugh Bowman's suspension and we allowed him to change the starting date of his suspension here to start on Tuesday," Van Gestel said.
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