South Australian stewards’ decision to ban Melissa Julius for six weeks described as ‘way over the top’

Victorian apprentice Melissa Julius will fight a six-week suspension she picked up in bizarre circumstances in South Australia on Saturday.

SA stewards handed Julius the harsh penalty after finding she failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures to get the best possible placing for the $51 chance Azzureous in a 1600m race at Murray Bridge.

Julius assessed she had run out of room on the Peter Blanch-trained Azzureous late in the race. She stopped pushing the four-year-old to the line in the last 50m.

Stewards took issue with Julius’s actions because Azzureous finished 11th. The race paid prizemoney down to 10th placing, meaning Azzureous’ owners missed out on $1025.

Julius’s master, Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde, said the stewards were far too tough on the apprentice.

“I reckon she’s really hard done by,” Wilde said.

“Not that I’ve seen all the footage, I can understand some sort of suspension but six weeks is just odd.

“It’s way over the top.”

Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde slammed the six-week penalty his stable apprentice Melissa Julius received at Murray Bridge on Saturday. Photo: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images.Source:Getty Images

Wilde pointed out local apprentice Stacey Metcalfe only received an eight-week suspension for dropping her hands on a runner, costing her mount a win, earlier this month.

Wilde said Julius was upset when he discussed the suspension with her on Saturday evening.

The trainer said the tough penalty came at precisely the wrong time for Julius, who only has a matter of months left in her apprenticeship.

“She was just stunned that she got six weeks. And I was too,” Wilde said.

“That was because she hasn’t got long to go in her apprenticeship and the winter months are vital because it’s the apprentices’ time to shine while the older jockeys are away.

“They have given Melissa six weeks for not taking a tight gap.

“The horse was going to run sixth at best and it seems way, way over the top.”

Julius will have her case heard at the South Australian Racing Appeals Tribunal on a date to be fixed.

Originally published asVictorian jockey’s SA ban ‘way over the top’

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