Hugh Bowman ban for Marmelo Melbourne Cup ride cut from 35 to 23 days

Hugh Bowman has been given something of a reprieve after the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board reduced his combined Melbourne Cup penalty of 35 meetings to 23 on Tuesday.

Bowman had been found guilty of three charges arising from his ride on runner-up Marmelo in the Melbourne Cup and was initially suspended for a cumulative total of 41 meetings. This was at first reduced to 35 meetings by stewards on the day.

But the RAD Board, after earlier noting the unusual nature of the cumulative penalties, said it was appropriate that Bowman serves 23 meetings for two of the offences plus be hit with a A$10,000 fine for excessive whip use.

The reduction in his penalty will allow Bowman to ride again from November 27. He will still miss taking up a riding contract in Japan as had been hoped and confirmed that he will now ride in Japan only on the weekend before Christmas.

Watch a replay of the Melbourne Cup on Racing.com

The reduction in suspensions has given the jockey the opportunity to take rides at the Hong Kong International meeting on December 9.

Bowman had appealed against the severity of the penalty imposed by the stewards when he pleaded guilty to three charges following his ride on Marmelo.

Bowman pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding and was originally suspended for 12 meetings. The RAD Board upheld the appeal and reduced the sentence to ten meetings.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge for using his whip 12 times prior to 100m out, which is seven times more than permitted. This initial eight-meeting ban was reduced to a hefty fine.

Finally, his 21-meeting ban for weighing in heavy was reduced to 13 meetings on appeal.

The RAD board heard from Bowman's legal counsel, Paul O'Sullivan, who questioned the fairness of Bowman's 21-meeting penalty for weighing-in 1kg overweight.

Hugh Bowman: set to ride at the Hong Kong International meeting on December 9Credit: Vince Caligiuri

He said five other jockeys had weighed-in after the Melbourne Cup at 0.9kg over their allotted weight. No action is taken against a rider until he is a full kilogram over his correct weight, meaning Bowman fell just 100g short of avoiding the charge.

O'Sullivan told the RAD Board that Bowman, against his normal routine, also weighed-out for the race without his silks, which Bowman indicated would weigh between 100 and 200g.

Bowman told the RAD Board he had a sip of water after weighing out but once he had gone out for the parade of jockeys before the Cup, he felt light-headed on returning to the jockeys' room so had a half a cup of tea.

But Steven Schmidhofer, for RV stewards, told the RAD Board Bowman had indeed found 600g from the time he weighed-out and weighed back in as he weighed-out 400g over his allowed weight.

He said a jockey of Bowman's professionalism and experience should not have made such a significant error.

Bowman said he took full responsibility for weighing-in 1kg heavy. "I feel disappointed in myself for what has happened," he said.

For complete coverage of racing and bloodstock in Australia and New Zealand, download ANZ Bloodstock News every day