A Victorian jockey is set to appeal a punishment that seems so harsh, that we must be missing something.
Sarah Robbins was given a five-week suspension for not giving her horse ‘’full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible place in the field’’ at Ballarat in June.
The kicker? Her runner, Black Hex, was a $101 shot if you don’t mind.
As you can see from the replay, the ride ain’t great, but nor is it the worst you’ll see around Australia.
Further, as a $101 shot, it beat three others home.
Betsy confirmed Robbins will appeal her ban – and maintain her not guilty plea – at a hearing early next week.
The gelding, which has a rating of just 40, has placed once in his 14 starts and going by his replays, can look like a tricky horse to manage.
His replays too show him sitting off the speed, but struggling to have an impact when it comes time to press the button – so why not have a crack at going forward when the market rates you a $101 chance?
As one astute judge told Betsy this week, remember when Regan Bayliss got in strife with Stewards for going hard and early on Pride of Jenni before she turned into a stare mare?
We feel somewhat silly comparing a 40 rater to the champion, but you get my drift – hard, aggressive leading can pay off. As an aside, Robbins kept the ride for Black Hex’s next start, where he again played up in the run and finished fifth after sitting midfield.
Apparently one explanation given for the need for a hefty ban was to protect the punter. Which given the price on offer, we’d love to know the handful who took the long odds.
The whole saga probably wouldn’t get the attention if it wasn’t for the inconsistencies we see across the sport when it comes to suspensions. From the 4-months to John O’Shea to the mere 28 days for the Freedmans, it seems like a lottery at times.
VJA boss Matt Hyland, who is expected to assist Robbins next week, declined to comment.
Memsie is world class
Remember back to when the Melbourne Racing Club wanted to drastically shake up the spring, moving a litany of its races in a bid to let racing shine when the sun is out, later in Spring?
The traditionalists won that battle, but part of that was moving the Memsie Stakes too.
A Group 1, it was seen as a wasted race by some, which despite kicking off Victoria’s spring carnival, actually takes place in winter [which if you’re a Victorian, is even less incentive to be trackside].
Fast forward to 2026, its hands-down one of the spring’s better races. The data suggests that too. The latest Longines World Top 100 races had the Memsie in 32nd place with a rating of 119.25.
The 2026 edition seems a cracker too. It’s looking like Sheza Alibi is now increasingly likely to take her place [currently the $2.25 favourite with TAB], as will Jimmystar [$4.50], the enigma in Angel Capital [$6], the veteran Mr Brightside [$11] and the once wonder-mare, Treasurethe Moment [$8].
And if Cosmic Crusader fires on Saturday, you’d think he would take his place too.
What a race and perfect way to kick off the carnival.
Racing should learn from footy’s woes
The story surrounding the AFL and concussion is a cautionary tale for every sporting code.
Brings me no joy to write my beloved Geelong Cats deserve a whack for their handling of a player facing the serious consequences of concussion.
But it raises the question – is racing adequately prepared?
Racing has seen the likes of Group 1 winning jockeys Michael Walker and Blake Spriggs walk away because of the risks of another fall.
To her credit, Jamie Melham took her time to return to racing following a horrific fall and spoke openly on the journey. There are many others too who have faced private battles. Many return, some of them not quite the same rider. Others have quietly given the game away.
What we’ve seen with the AFL is a unified approach is crucial – racing simply cannot operate with different rules in different states.
Racing Australia needs to lead this charge and as we saw recently in Canberra with both Racing NSW and Racing Victoria working together, a unified approach is far more powerful.
A fair state bias?
We see one outlet of late has been given some forthright opinions on one state’s racing, but the pertinent question is whether the same hard-hitting coverage is allowed down south?
Maher’s elite media play
Nearly every trainer has tried their hand at in-house media. From social media to full-on features, we’ve seen it all, and with limited success.
But some of the content from the Ciaron Maher stable is elite.
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From his educational content to the profiles of his staff, it is one of the great plays in the space. It’s also the perfect way to attract people to racing, showing the human element, the drastic amount of work that goes into a horse and just how serious a business racing is.
We thoroughly enjoyed this piece too from February on yearling educator Adrian Corboy – what a horseman and character!
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