Nash Rawiller has added another seven meetings to his suspension for his daring ride on Kementari which denied the Robert and Luke Price-trained Count De Rupee the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes on Saturday.
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Brock Ryan kicked clear in the closing stages on Count De Rupee at Royal Randwick, but Rawiller found a way past fading odds-on favourite Big Parade, literally squeezing through on the rail to win for Godolphin.
It comes after Rawiller's stunning steer in the Queen Elizabeth on Kerry Parker's Think It Over last week, where he moved to the grandstand side of the course and finished over the top of Zaaki to beat a red-hot field in the 2000m Group 1 event.
Rawiller earned a two-week punishment and $40,000 fine for excessive whip use, downgraded to $30,000 on appeal.
So the ban for careless riding on Kementari means Rawiller will put his feet up until May 13.
"I was full of running and had the opportunity to come out and really didn't want to," Rawiller told Seven after the race. "Full credit to the horse, it looked very sticky for a couple of strides but he was pretty determined to get through."
For his part, Ryan was thrilled to see Count De Rupee bounce back after disappointing results in the TJ Smith behind Everest champion Nature Strip and down the Flemington straight.
"Bloody Nash hey," Ryan told Racenet. "Always finds a way. Good to see [Count De Rupee] bounce back off those two failed attempts. He's going well again."
Cummings praised Rawiller's ability to find a way, as he considers a Goodwood Stakes in Adelaide next month, while Luke Price is also weighing up his options about heading to Adelaide or to Brisbane for the Doomben 10,000 or Stradbroke.
"[Rawiller] sweated on the run, which is exactly what he needed to do, he thought he might have a little dive for the spot in behind Big Parade early," Cummings told Seven.
"But as we reminded him you have got Count De Rupee drawn underneath you and if I thought Kementari trialled well at Warwick Farm you just had to watch the replay of Count De Rupee, who trialled just as brilliantly.
"So it was a proper horse race. And I told Nash I'd be the last trainer on the track that'd be unhappy with him if he ran out of time in the last 50 metres and even if it took him to the last 10, I was fine with that and that's the ride he produced.
"I don't know how many times he brushed the rail inside the 150m, but it was enough to make you nervous and he got up and won, what a courageous effort."
Cummings also enjoyed success at Kembla Grange with $1.45 favourite Stalking at start 10, while Parker's The Gift also broke through, in a 1300m Maiden.
Glyn Schofield on David Payne's Auckland held off four challengers late to win a 1200m Class 1 and Chris Waller gelding Hollywood North justified the $1.24 price tag.
"Hopefully with that win under his belt he might get a bit of confidence now," Waller representative Clare Heuston said.
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
