Golden Slipper-winning jockey Tommy Berry has succeeded in having a whip suspension reduced on appeal and will be free to ride at the lucrative Australian Derby meeting.
Berry was suspended and fined for breaching the whip rules aboard Rosehill Guineas winner Mo’Unga and was set to be sidelined for the next two Saturdays.
His fine was doubled to $10,000 at Thursday’s appeal hearing but his suspension reduced by a meeting.
He will still miss this weekend’s Tancred Stakes program at Rosehill but will now be back in time for day one of The Championships at Randwick on April 10.
Berry’s manager Jeff Brian confirmed Hawkes Racing had decided to lock in their Group One riders early for the Derby day meeting and two of Berry’s regular mounts – Masked Crusader in the T J Smith Stakes and Hilal in the Sires’ Produce Stakes – have gone to Kerrin Mcevoy.
However, Berry will still have a strong book at Randwick, picking up the ride on Libertini in the T J Smith and Aquis galloper Olmedo for Annabel Neasham in the Doncaster Mile.
He can also honour his commitments to partner Favreau for John Sargent in the Derby and top fancy Art Cadeau in the Country Championships Final.
Significantly, the top hoop will also be able to compete for the prestigious Nathan Berry medal, named after his late brother and awarded to the most successful jockey over 12 selected races during the two days of The Championships.
