Top jockey Mark Zahra will be unavailable to ride star colt Tentyris in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes after receiving a second suspension within three days at Caulfield on Saturday.
Zahra was handed a seven-meeting suspension for breaching whip rules aboard Meridius in race five, ruling him out of riding commitments through to April 7. The ban follows a separate careless riding suspension incurred at the Caulfield Heath meeting the previous Wednesday.
His earlier suspension is set to run from March 26 to March 31, with the latest penalty commencing on April 1 and extending through to April 7.
The timing means Zahra will miss the $3 million T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 4, where Tentyris is expected to be a leading contender.
The suspension caps off a challenging period for Zahra, who had already been sidelined at the start of the autumn carnival due to a fractured tibia.
He will now also miss key meetings including Australian Cup day at Flemington on March 28 and the opening day of the ATC Championships at Randwick on April 4.
In addition to the suspension, Zahra was fined $700 for breaching whip rules in the Manhari Handicap (1200m) on Meridius.
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