Ben Melham’s appeal of a two-month suspension over his handling of a beaten favourite will be heard next Tuesday.
Melham has appealed the decision and severity of the penalty which puts him out of the spring carnival.
Racing Victoria stewards charged Melham with failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures in the Ted Bull Funerals Hcp (1223m) to ensure Numen Lumen was given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible placing in the field at Mornington last Tuesday.
They said he failed to improve his position after leaving the 800m mark and again at the top of the straight where, in the opinion of the stewards, there was ample opportunity to do so.
The Dean Binaisse-trained Numen Lumen was backed from $2.60 to start the $2.15 favourite and finished third behind Heavenly Dreams, beaten 1-1/4 lengths.
Melham has been granted a stay of proceedings allowing him to ride until the appeal is heard.
The biggest moment of Melham’s career came last spring when he filled in for a suspended Luke Nolen to guide champion Black Caviar to her first Group One win in the Patinack Farm Classic.
AAP TURF
