Nash Rawiller was absent from Rosehill on Saturday but still managed to be the centre of attention in a dispute between Gai Waterhouse and John O’Shea for his services.
Stewards were called on to officiate after O’Shea believed he had booked Rawiller to ride Romanus at Canterbury on Wednesday.
However, Waterhouse argued Rawiller is her retained rider and committed to ride Crossbow.
Rawiller’s manager Glenn D’Arcy told the O’Shea stable last Wednesday that at that stage Waterhouse did not have a runner.
By nomination time on Thursday, Waterhouse had decided to run Crossbow and insisted Rawiller ride her horse.
Chief steward Ray Murrihy said the matter had taken far too much of everyone’s time.
“In a very narrow balance we go with you on this one,” Murrihy told Waterhouse.
“If you don’t sort it out with your retainer we’ll have to sort it out.”
Rawiller, who is currently suspended, is the number one rider for the Waterhouse stable but no formal document has been lodged with Racing NSW to that effect.
She tendered a statutory declaration from D’Arcy which stated his arrangement with all Sydney’s leading stables was on the understanding that any bookings were subject to the Waterhouse stable having a runner.
AAP TURF
