While Hugh Bowman will miss the chance to win his first Caulfield Cup, another Sydney jockey Tommy Berry has emerged as the likely replacement rider for crack international stayer Trip To Paris in the $3 million handicap on Saturday week.
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Bowman had his Caulfield Cup aspirations thwarted by Sydney stewards after they found the champion jockey guilty of careless riding for using an elbow on rival Blake Shinn during his winning Epsom Handicap ride last Saturday.
Bowman, who will ride Caulfield Guineas favourite Press Statement on Saturday, will miss the ride on Trip To Paris in the cup after stewards banned him for eight meetings following an adjourned inquiry on Thursday.
English trainer Ed Dunlop and his Australian staff were working through a number high-profile replacements with Berry standing out as the likely rider for the well-regarded import.
"We have looked through an impressive list of jockeys that we could use and Berry has come out at the top," a spokesman said.
Bowman will also forfeit the ride on Terravista in the group 1 Manikato Stakes before returning to ride either Winx or Preferment in the Cox Plate.
Chief steward Ray Murrihy said his panel considered the higher charge of improper riding, but couldn't find Bowman guilty of the offence.
The decision will be a bitter pill to swallow for Australia's leading group 1 rider, who forfeited a slew of plum rides during last year's spring carnival when controversially banned for improper riding.
The initial inquiry into the elbow incident started in the dramatic aftermath of Winx's breathtaking Epsom Handicap win when stewards probed Bowman over his riding near the 500-metre mark.
Murrihy deferred the matter to further inspect footage that appeared to show Bowman extending his elbow to block Shinn (Kirramosa), who had whipped around his rival to put Winx into a pocket nearing the home turn.
Bowman told the inquiry the skirmish with Shinn was a "racing incident" and strongly disagreed with Murrihy's claim he continued riding Winx for "two or three strides" to push Kirramosa out of the way to come around the heels of Sons Of John.
He reasoned his high arm action was a result of trying to restrain Winx after stoking her up to make a run, which quickly closed when Shinn whipped around him.
"All I was thinking about when this was happening was hitting the ground," Bowman said. "The bottom line is, yes, I've been caught napping, there's no doubt about it, but I'm being influenced by the horse's heels [Sons Of John] in front of me.
"I'm not deliberately or intentionally putting any pressure on Blake at all. He's held a tight line and reasonably so."
Primed to claim the first of the Melbourne big three that has so far eluded him, Bowman had been confirmed for the mount on Trip To Paris.
He has also ridden Chris Waller's Cox Plate hopefuls Winx and Preferment to group 1 wins at their most recent starts and was favourite to combine with the latter as a leading chance in the Melbourne Cup as he tried to shed weight to reach the 53.5-kilogram handicap.
Bowman's spring suspension last year was reduced on appeal, enabling him to return in time for the Melbourne Cup before piloting Set Square (Victoria Oaks) and Terravista (Darley Classic) to major triumphs on the final two days of the Flemington carnival.
