Buffering owners to pay $5000 fine imposed on jockey for winning ride in Winterbottom Stakes

THE owners of Buffering will pay the $5000 fine Damian Browne incurred for his winning ride in the Winterbottom Stakes.

Buffering with jockey Damian Browne onboard after winning the Winterbottom Stakes.

THE owners of Buffering will pay the $5000 fine Damian Browne incurred for his winning ride in the Winterbottom Stakes.

Browne's third straight Group 1 triumph on Buffering was soured when he was slapped with the hefty penalty and a one-month suspension for causing interference to Barakey and jockey Jason Brown.

Rival jockey Chris Munce was so stunned by Browne's punishment that he took to Twitter yesterday and posted: "What a joke brownie copping a fine and suspension. The bloke on barakey should have been rubbed out for stupidity.'"

Trainer Rob Heathcote said of the suspension: "I"m disappointed because the penalty hasn't fitted the crime. Yes, it"s a G1 race, and yes, there"s interference, and yes, he should have copped a penalty, but the severity of the penalty I find quite extraordinary.

"At end of day to fight it would mean he"d have to stay here (in Perth), and he'd have to front a hearing, and blah, blah, blah. It's probably in the 'too hard' basket.

"Giving him a three-week suspension, that"s a hefty penalty for a rider of his stature, but why throw in a $5000 fine? That I find quite extraordinary.

"But owners of Buffering are going to pay it anyway.

"Without wanting to stick the boot into Jason Brown _he'd be feeling quite shitty anyway _ but he made an error, if had he sat on the tail of Buffering, he probably fights it out with Buffering."