Mark Zahra banned and fined for winning Caulfield Cup ride

Following his victory in the Caulfield Cup, jockey Mark Zahra has been granted permission to ride at the upcoming Cox Plate meeting next Saturday. However, he will not be available to ride until Victoria Derby Day, which falls on the following Saturday, due to a seven-meeting suspension imposed by stewards for his excessive use of the whip.

The Racing Victoria stewards determined that Zahra had used the whip on his mount, Without A Fight, more than allowed, delivering nine strikes before reaching the 100-meter mark. This exceeded the permissible limit by four strikes.

In light of the suspension, Zahra has decided to serve his ban during the period between the Cox Plate meeting and the Victoria Derby meeting, enabling him to participate in both events. This decision was made after a challenging week for the rider, during which he had to make a choice between his Melbourne Cup winner, Gold Trip, and the former import, Without A Fight.