Noel Callow flew out for India on Thursday night after being suspended for careless riding at Ballarat the same day.
Callow pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge aboard Darbu in the Sportsbet.com.au Country Showcase Hcp (1200m) and was outed for 11 meetings.
However the suspension, which he began immediately and which will end at midnight on May 9, will not interfere with Callow’s stint in India where he will ride for leading owner Dr Vijay Mallya.
His manager Phillip Roost said the jockey had to ride track work for a couple of weeks before the Bangalore Summer Meeting starts on May 14.
He’ll ride in India for a month with the option of staying for another month.
Callow has been in good form since returning to Victoria after a long and successful stay in Asia.
He had ridden 11 winners in the past few weeks including the Peter Moody-trained Highly Recommended at Flemington on April 16.
Callow finished runner-up on the Lee Freedman-trained import Fanjura in last Saturday’s Group Three Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
“He’s riding well and going into the new season (in Melbourne) he’ll be a player I reckon,” Roost said.
Dubbed “King Callow” by his army of followers when he was leading rider in Singapore for two seasons, Callow became the first jockey to reach the 100-winner milestone there, riding a record 106 winners in his first season in 2007.
Also in 2007 he won the Mauritius International Jockeys’ Challenge, finishing ahead of top international riders such as Frankie Dettori, Jimmy Fortune, Ryan Moore and Weichong Marwing.
Callow won the 2008 Singapore Derby on Top Spin for trainer Laurie Laxon.
His biggest wins in Australia include In Top Swing in the 2003 Caulfield Guineas, Al Maher in the 2005 Australian Guineas and Benicio in the 2005 Victoria Derby.
AAP TURF
