The suspension of Jamie Bullard yesterday will preclude him riding Hold It Harvey in the $100,000 Canterbury Gold Cup at Riccarton on Saturday week.
Bullard was suspended from April 11 to midnight on April 23 for careless riding at Motukarara. Bullard, riding Wine'nsoda (race 10) admitted shifting in at the 700m, causing a severe check to Lamaze. Situation and Final Touch were also hampered.
Hold It Harvey easily won the $85,000 group two Awapuni Gold Cup on Saturday in the hands of Bullard, who has also won the group three White Robe Lodge Handicap at Wingatui and the group three Thompson Handicap at Trentham on the gelding in the past two months.
Matt Shepherd, the Christchurch owner of Hold It Harvey, said the horse would have his final race for the season in the Canterbury Gold Cup, providing the track was not heavy.
"Being weight-for-age and 2000m, it is ideal for him," Shepherd said.
"Terri [Rae, the trainer] wants to put him out after that and bring him back for the spring races at Hastings."
Shepherd said Rae had not considered a replacement rider as she had just become aware of the suspension of Bullard.
It was the 13th win for Hold It Harvey and the $50,000 first prize took his stake earnings to $554,675.
Bullard rode Distinctly Secret to win the 2005 Awapuni Gold Cup when it was at weight-for-age. The race is now a handicap.
The previous South Island-trained winner of the Awapuni Gold Cup was the Danny Frye-trained Magnet Bay (Peter Johnson) in 1998.
Rae, Shepherd and Bullard combined to win a maiden race with Six Blue Monkeys at Motukarara yesterday. The 3yr-old Six Blue Monkeys, having his second start, was an $8000 purchase at the Magic Millions yearling sale on the Gold Coast in June, 2009. Hold It Harvey was bought at the Magic Millions sale for $16,000. Don't Say Clang (nine wins and $194,000) and Not Now Norman (winner of his two starts before being sold to Hong Kong) were also bought at Magic Millions sales by the same connections.
