Boss banned, fined over Gong whip breaches
Glen Boss will miss a jockeys’ challenge in Mauritius after being suspended for overuse of the whip.
Glen Boss has been handed a two-week ban and fined for excessive whip use on Star Of The Seas, third placegetter in the inaugural $1 million The Gong.
Boss fronted before stewards after his ride in Saturday’s $1 million feature at Kembla Grange.
The jockey, who missed the chance for a fourth Melbourne Cup win through suspension, struck the Chris Waller runner 15 times before the 100-metre mark, 10 more than allowed.
Riders are also outlawed from hitting a horse in consecutive strides before the final 100m, but Boss did so 13 times.
“Every time I hit it, it was responding,” he said.
“I got carried away and thought I was going to win the race.”
Boss pleaded guilty to the whip breaches and was suspended for two weeks and handed a $4000 fine which almost equated to his winning percentage.
His previous record and a recent suspension for a similar offence went against Boss who will miss an international jockeys series in Mauritius next weekend.
Given the spotlight on horse welfare, Boss admitted he needed to address his behaviour.
“In the environment we’re in, I’ve got to curb it,” he said.
Boss will begin the ban immediately and be back in time to ride at the Villiers meeting at Randwick on December 14.
Since he returned to Australia from Singapore a few months ago, Boss has won the Group One Epsom Handicap and Sydney’s two richest races, the $14 million Everest and $7.5 million Golden Eagle.