A JOCKEY who was banned immediately after winning £1million on a 30-1 outsider has posted a photo online explaining why he is innocent.
Ben Melham was a brilliant winner on roughie Griff in the mega-money Neds Caulfield Guineas in Australia on Saturday.
But his victory was marred by the fact he hung badly right in the closing stretches.
Griff and Melham appeared to hamper runner-up Veight under jockey Damian Lane.
However, after reviewing the action, stewards decided to let the result stand.
They did ban Melham for careless riding though, saying he should have taken more effort to keep his horse straight.
Melham argued he did everything he could to correct his horse, but that he was powerless against the 500kg runner after he got spooked by a person on a ladder.
While it might sound weird, Melham then posted a photo online of who he deemed to be the ‘culprit’.
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The image showed a figure standing atop a ladder near the finish line.
Melham, who was also fined £500 for overuse of the whip, said his horse would not have veered across the track if the person had not been there.
Punters felt the jockey was hard done by.
One posted in reply to Melham’s photo of the finish: “I actually can’t believe you got time for that.”
Another said: “It’s a joke you got rubbed out for that!”
While a fellow Twitter user wrote: “That person should not be up there, massive danger to horse and jockey.”
Melham pleaded not guilty to careless riding but his ban is due to kick in on October 22 and last for eight days.
Punters thought Ryan Moore was unlucky to get a ban at Newmarket on Friday.
Moore, arguably the world’s best jockey, caused a rival to stumble when veering across and got hit with a five-day ban which will rule him out of the Futurity at Doncaster later this month.
GettyMelham insisted he was innocent and that the person on the ladder was to blame for his horse veering[/caption]
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