Ben Melham, John Allen appeal suspensions

Ben Melham has appealed the careless riding suspension which threatens to keep him out of the Caulfield Guineas meeting.

Fellow Group One-winning jockey John Allen has also appealed the severity of a careless riding ban he incurred at the same Ballarat meeting on Thursday and he would need to get his eight-meeting ban reduced by one to be free to ride at Caulfield next Saturday.

Melham was suspended for nine meetings on Thursday and lodged an appeal against both the decision and the severity.

Both jockeys’ suspensions are due to start after Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes meeting at Flemington, with their respective appeal hearings set for Monday morning.

Melham needs at least two meetings shaved off the ban to be free for the Caulfield meeting which features four Group One races.

Melham is the regular rider of Caulfield Guineas contender Levendi and has been slated to ride Irish horse Johannes Vermeer in the Caulfield Stakes.

Johannes Vermeer, trained by Aidan O’Brien and part-owned by Lloyd Williams, is in quarantine at Werribee.