21 October 2023 , 12:26
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Victory in one of the world’s richest horse races has cost a top jockey a whopping fine after he broke whip rules.
Mark Zahra was overjoyed at landing the £2.5million Caulfield Cup on ex-European Without A Fight in the mille-and-a-half handicap. The winner out battled his former stablemate, the British challenger West Wind Blows, ridden by Jamie Spencer, to triumph by a head.
But Zahra had exceeded the whip limit and while pocketing a significant share of the £1.7m first prize-money, he was forced to pay a sizeable chunk back. According to the stewards’ report he used his whip nine times up to the 100 metre pole and 13 times in total.
He was suspended for seven days but was also fined £25,000, a large sum because he had won a Group 1 race.
Zahra is the regular rider of last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip and had already committed to Without A Fight when Gold Trip was confirmed a last minute runner in the Caulfield Cup.
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Ben Melham took over on Gold Trip, but then there was a late injury scare over Without A Fight before he was cleared to run. Gold Trip ran creditably to finish third.
“It was like someone stealing your missus, someone else getting the ride on Gold Trip, and I was just a bit shattered,” Zahra told 7 Sport. “I thought, ‘F***, he’s my horse’, I won the Melbourne Cup on him and I have a great bond with him - a bit of an emotional bond I don’t have with any other horse.
“I said it was time to stop worrying about Gold Trip and time to focus on Without A Fight.
“Then the vet stuff came up but I was always confident that he would pass because Sam and Anthony said (he would) and he’s just a lazy trotter.
“I got the spot I wanted and he was too strong.”