He told stewards his view was supported by earlier races.
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Melham said he had intentionally moved off the rail on Shaggy after rounding the home turn, but his horse shifted abruptly and became unbalanced when contacting another runner, Shining Smile. As a result, he said, Shaggy had shifted wider on the track than he had hoped.
Stewards noted the jockey’s comments in their report but said a “betting overview of the race will be conducted”.
A betting overview involves stewards analysing the total wagering activity on the race with the assistance of Racing Victoria’s Betting Intelligence Unit. The probe will be ongoing.
Ben Melham was suspended for eight meetings by stewards for careless riding.
“He permitted his mount to shift out when not sufficiently clear of Shining Smile which was bumped, became unbalanced and taken out onto Tycoon Star, which was also hampered and carried wider,” stewards wrote in their report.
“Hay Street and Express Class, which were trailing, were also hampered.
“In assessing penalty, account was taken of his guilty plea, good record and that the incident was in the low range.”
Jamie Melham, right, wins the group 3 Vain Stakes on Jimmy Recard from Tycoon Star, ridden by Mark Zahra.Credit: Getty Images
Footage of the first four events at Caulfield show horses winning on the track about three metres out from the rail – a distance that leaves a substantial gap for horses to push through on the inside.
Racing Victoria declined to comment about the stewards’ inquiry.
The trainer of Shaggy, Allan Kehoe, was also questioned by stewards after the Caulfield race and confirmed that his horse had been ridden to instructions by going forward and leading.
Stewards also noted that a post-race endoscopy detected a throat condition that might have affected the gelding’s racing performance.
Jamie Melham was not questioned by stewards.
After winning the race, she said the Ciaron Maher-trained Jimmy Recard had some big wins in store this spring.
She commented on her horse’s ability to recover from a bumping duel in the home straight with second place-getter Tycoon Star, a three-year-old colt ridden by Mark Zahra.
“When he got that bump at the 200 [metres], I thought he would put the white flag up, but he didn’t and dug deep,” she said.
“He’s really grown and matured, and the penny has dropped with him now.”
Cox Plate moved to Flemington
The Victorian Racing Club will host the 2026 Cox Plate at Flemington a week before next year’s Melbourne Cup carnival.
Moonee Valley is closing its gates after the running of this year’s Cox Plate to undergo a 21-month, $220 million renovation which will include moving the existing track and building a new grandstand.
The decision to award the race to Flemington, flagged by this masthead last month, was announced on Wednesday morning.
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