Hugh Bowman to return midweek after rushing home from Flemington due to family illness

Hugh Bowman stood himself down from the ride on favourite Avilius in the Australian Cup at Flemington to catch the first available flight back to Sydney.

Hugh Bowman to return to the track on Wednesday.

• Winx jockey stands down over family matter
• Schofield fined after meltdown in jockeys room

Champion jockey Hugh Bowman will return to race riding midweek after he was forced to rush home from Flemington races on Saturday night after his wife Christine required medical treatment.

The champion jockey preferred to keep the issue a private matter but doctors had been treating Christine for a condition that was not life-threatening.

Bowman stood himself down from the ride on favourite Avilius in the Australian Cup at Flemington to catch the first available flight back to Sydney.

He also relinquished his mounts at the Black Opal meeting in Canberra on Saturday.

Bowman set to resume riding at the Warwick Farm meeting on Wednesday.

Hugh Bowman will resume riding on Wednesday.

The insensitivity of some social media commentary to Bowman’s losing ride on Newmarket Handicap runner-up Osborne Bulls and his decision to stand down from his ride on Avilius was in poor taste.

Bowman could not have done much more on Osborne Bulls. The sprinter is a backmarker and when the huge Newmarket field drifted over towards the outside fence, it was always going to be difficult to find a clear passage.

There was some inaccurate social media remarks made from afar about a jockey room stoush between Glyn Schofield and James McDonald.

There were suggestions from those who should know better that punches were thrown between Schofield and McDonald in the Randwick jockeys room but it was nothing more than a little “argy bargy” as supported by stewards CCTV footage.

Schofield was fined $1000 by stewards.