Melody Belle Seeking New Rider

The Informant reports:

With Blake Shinn joining fellow Sydney high-profile jockey Hugh Bowman on the sideline for next week's Apollo Stakes meeting at Randwick, the connections of star New Zealand filly Melody Belle have been left with a challenge to find a suitable replacement.

Shinn was the intended rider for Melody Belle when she makes her Sydney debut on the Apollo Stakes programme, but he was handed a seven-meeting careless rising suspension following last Friday's Canterbury meeting and will be out until after Randwick on Saturday week.

Earlier this week Bowman had failed in his appeal against a Sydney suspension that, on top of a suspension from the Karaka Million meeting at Ellerslie, scuppered plans to ride Winx in the Apollo Stakes. Then needing a three-day reduction of his eight-day New Zealand suspension, Bowman declined the opportunity to lodge a second appeal, and now Winx's return to racing has been delayed until the Gr. 1 Chipping Norton Stakes on March 3.

Shinn, who ironically gave evidence in Bowman's failed appeal, had a 10 per cent reduction applied to the penalty handed to him by stewards at Randwick yesterday because the ban includes the Gr. 2 Apollo Stakes.

That comes as no consolation to the connections of Melody Belle, who is scheduled to run in the Gr. 2 Light Fingers Stakes on Saturday week, and now they are attempting to find a replacement.

“We are now getting close to close to nominations and with a number of jockeys riding in Melbourne next weekend and others suspended, I will be talking to jockey agents today," co-trainer Jamie Richards told www.theinformant.co.nz this morning.

Te Akau stable rider Opie Bosson, who partnered Melody Belle in her Karaka Million win last year and in her last-start Mongolian Khan Trophy win at Ellerslie, has already been confirmed to ride Embellish in his Melbourne debut on Saturday week.