Stewards investigation as husband seemingly lets wife's horse through at Caulfield
Stewards are investigating a race at Caulfield last Saturday featuring husband and wife jockey pair Ben and Jamie Melham.
Jamie Melham (née Kah) won the race on Jimmy Recard, but got a clean run along the rails thanks to husband Ben's horse Shaggy, which was sitting in front of her, veering out of her way (watch the video above to see how it played out).
Shaggy bumped into Shining Smile who then got in the way of Tycoon Star, clearing space for Jimmy Recard to take off, ultimately winning the race by a head.
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Shaggy shifts across into Shining Smile. racing.com
The Age is reporting that Racing Victoria's stewards are now looking into the race. WWOS is not accusing either jockey of wrongdoing.
A betting overview is being conducted, but Jamie was not spoken to by stewards.
Ben Melham said after the race his shift was intentional, but was done because he believed the middle of the track provided a better surface.
However, upon making the move, he said Shaggy became unbalanced, hence the dramatic shift.
He received an eight-meeting suspension for careless riding, meaning he will be eligible to return on August 27.
"He permitted his mount to shift out when not sufficiently clear of Shining Smile which was bumped, became unbalanced and taken out onto Tycoon Star, which was also hampered and carried wider," the stewards wrote.
"Hay Street and Express Class, which were trailing, were also hampered.
"In assessing penalty, account was taken of his guilty plea, good record and that the incident was in the low range."
The pair married in January, with Jamie Kah taking on the Melham surname.
Jamie and Ben Melham pictured together recently at the Victorian Racing Awards. Racing Photos via Getty Images
"I know this horse has got talent, he's really impressed me in his work and trials, but I'm just concerned that the penny hasn't really dropped with him," she said after the race of Jimmy Recard.
"When he got that bump at the 200m, I thought he was probably going to throw the white flag in, but he loved it, he really stuck his head out.
"He's really grown and matured, this horse. He's always been talented, like I said, but the penny's dropped with him now – he's got some bigger wins in store."
