Hugh Bowman banned: Jockey’s detractors must consider facts when viewing tragic incident
While Hugh Bowman has been widely condemned on social media for causing the fall that has rocked Australian racing, when viewing the facts, Racing NSW stewards got the punishment right, writes RAY THOMAS.
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Hugh Bowman’s role in the horror fall at Rosehill last Saturday has become the most divisive issue in racing.
The champion jockey, who rode eventual winner Smart Image, has been widely condemned on social media for causing the fall that has left fellow rider, Andrew Adkins hospitalised with multiple broken bones and many months out of the saddle.
Adkin’s mount, Hot ‘N’ Hazy, suffered catastrophic injuries in the fall and had to be euthanised.
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Racing NSW stewards reconvened their inquiry into the fall on Thursday morning and replayed the shocking fall from various angles many times.
It was increasingly difficult to watch Hot ‘N’ Hazy getting into a “squeeze play” and falling. Adkins was thrown to the turf and almost trampled under the feet of other runners in the race.
Adkins was badly injured in the fall but fortunately he will eventually recover and resume his riding career.
But was Bowman entirely at fault for the incident and was the six weeks penalty suffice?
After viewing the official head-on film of the race for the first time on Thursday morning, it was apparent there wasn’t any room for Smart Image to sneak inside leader Mr Colorful at the 300m.
Please see below my statement following today’s hearing. pic.twitter.com/8pwU4s2SbB
— Hugh Bowman (@HugeBowman) July 30, 2020
This is when Bowman made the fateful decision to switch outside of Mr Colorful’s heels and take a narrow gap inside the tiring Hot ‘N’ Hazy.
Even acting chief steward Wade Birch conceded there was initially a run for Smart Image outside of Mr Colorful at that point of the race but at virtually the very moment Bowman made his move, Mr Colorful drifted out slightly under pressure. There was also a “very minimal” shift in from Duchess wider out on the track.
These were the contributing factors that stewards took into account before determining that Bowman was guilty of careless riding rather than the more serious reckless riding charge which would carry a significantly longer penalty.
Perhaps, if Bowman had of waited another two or three strides, then the run inside of Mr Colorful presents itself and the fall is avoided.
But Bowman was riding to win and made a split second decision to go outside Mr Colorful’s heels.
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Stewards issued a six-week riding ban which for a careless riding charge is about right, particularly after taking into account Bowman’s good recent riding record, the contributing factors to the incident and the many features races he will miss in coming weeks.
Bowman’s detractors on social media thought it was a “typo” when the six-week ban was announced. They felt it should have been six months.
Smart Image might have got the cash last Saturday but there were no “winners’’ from this race – not Bowman and particularly not Adkins and the connections of Hot ‘N’ Hazy.
Originally published as Hugh Bowman banned: Jockey’s detractors must consider facts when viewing tragic incident