Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Steven King believes a $5000 fine imposed by Moonee Valley stewards on Saturday for failing to ride a horse out is an unjustified slur against him.
Stewards found King guilty of failing to ride Gotta Take Care to the line in the Become A MVRC Member Handicap.
Chief steward Terry Bailey told King it had been open to debate whether King’s lack of vigour on Gotta Take Care ($10), had cost it victory.
“It is our view is that it has,” Bailey said.
“Your obligation is to ride out your mount and you haven’t done that.”
King told the stewards he had been fatigued at the end off the 3000m race, a diagnosis backed by the club doctor who ruled him unfit to fulfil his later bookings.
Gotta Take Care opened up a six-length lead 250m out and appeared to have the race in his keeping.
But in the final few metres, King appeared to relax and Gotta Take Care was caught on the line by Wells ($6.50).
“This is the first time in 25 years I’ve been accused of something like this,” King said outside the stewards room.
“I’ve never been questioned on a charge like this … the horse had no more to give.
“I was fatigued and the horse didn’t have the best run in the race.”
King also used the sectional times to defend himself against the charge, saying they backed his claim that Gotta Take Care could have found no more.
“The horse was on his knees and so was I,” he said.
The fine provided a sour ending to a day that started well for King, but became progressively worse.
The veteran rider had earlier guided Tokugawa to victory in the Make-A-Wish Sprint (1200m), only to be fined $200 for weighing in 1kg over the horse’s allotted weight.
He later used that to reinforce his argument in the Gotta Take Care inquiry.
“That’s an indication of how hard I’d wasted,” he said.
King is considering an appeal against the the stewards’ verdict.
Outside the King controversy, the meeting provided redemption for one of last season’s more promising two-year-olds when Rusambo won the Sportingbet Hcp (1000m).
Rusambo had raced well in the top bracket of juveniles in first first few runs, earning a start in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes in which he finished fifth to Samaready.
But his first-up effort last month was below par and trainer Peter Snowden had considered sending him to the country in an effort to break his maiden status.
But Rusambo ($6) saved him the trouble, coming from last to score impressively.
The Snowden stable made it a double with Glows ($3) claiming the final race.
