Craig Williams suspended at Flemington

A furious Craig Williams has been suspended for careless riding at Flemington which could cost him the ride on Star Turn in the Group One Newmarket Handicap.

Williams pleaded guilty to the charge emanating from his win on Turbo Miss in the Frances Tressady Stakes on Saturday and was banned for 10 meetings.

Unless Williams appeals successfully and has the ban reduced by three meetings, he will miss next Saturday’s feature day.

His suspension will start after he rides Chauffeur in the Black Opal Stakes at Canberra on Sunday.

Racing Victoria stewards, headed by Terry Bailey, charged Williams with angling out at the 150m mark, making contact with Manageress, ridden by Noel Callow, which had to check to avoid the heels of Turbo Miss.

Williams told stewards the shift was competitive and not careless and he wasn’t hasty in coming out.

“I didn’t put anyone in danger,” he said.

Stewards deemed the interference to be in the mid-range which infuriated Williams who was hoping for it to be low-range.

“I’m aggrieved that you call that mid-range,” Williams said.

“You take me out of a Group One day because of a low-range shift.

“I have respect for other jockeys out there.

“I’m competitive, not careless.”

An angry Williams said to Bailey: “I hope you can sleep at night”.

To which Bailey replied: “I won’t lose a wink”.

“We made the right decision.”

Williams was also fined $500 for over-using the whip on his winning ride Mr Sneaky in the Saintly Handicap.

Meanwhile, Katelyn Mallyon says she will appeal a 12-meeting ban which threatens her ride on Super Cash in the Newmarket Handicap.

Mallyon was charged with careless riding aboard Northwest Passage in the straight in the Roy Higgins Quality for causing interference to Dean Yendall’s mount Dandy Gent.

Mallyon’s ban is immediate and she will miss the Newmarket meeting unless she is successful with the appeal.

Cory Parish, who rode a Listed winner at Flemington aboard two-year-old Ploverset on Saturday, had his day soured by a 12-meeting ban for careless riding aboard Furhryk at the 1100m mark in the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m).