Aussie jockey suspended after Daffodil clipped

Australian jockey Craig Williams has been suspended after Leica Ding ruined the chances of New Zealand stayer Daffodil in yesterday's Melbourne Cup.

Williams was suspended for 14 race meetings, after his mount clipped the heels of Daffodil at the 300m mark.

Daffodil nearly fell, and lost all chance of mounting a serious run up the straight, to finish 11th. Leica Ding finished 14th.

Daffodil just missed out on the $A115,000 ($NZ146,105) consolation paid to runners down to 10th place.

Trainer Kevin Gray said she had appeared to pull up well from the race and would return home on Sunday night for a spell.

"She might run again in the autumn," Gray told NZPA.

Daffodil's jockey Chris Munce told Gray that Leica Ding came under his mare's neck coming into the straight.

"She went down on her nose and he said she would have been a lot closer if she had not received such a bad check," Gray said.

"Chris reckoned she can stay, but he got a hell of a way back and when they dawdled down the straight the first time, they got too big a start on her."

Munce told reporters Daffodil got knocked on her head at the top of the straight.

"They can't be doing that," he said.

Williams' suspension was rated by Racing Victoria stewards as being in the high range .

It starts at midnight tomorrow after the Oaks meeting and runs until midnight November 18.

Fifth-placed Harris Tweed and Daffodil will return home at the weekend for spells.

Bjorn Baker, co-trainer of Harris Tweed, who was courageous in chasing Shocking home, said the Auckland Cup in March might be a possible race in the autumn, now that the Montjeu gelding had confirmed he could run the 3200m Cup distance.

"We will definitely be back for the Melbourne Cup next year," he told NZPA.

Harris Tweed recovered from a near disaster on the first round when he knuckled over through interference, to run on strongly in the straight in a race in which the slow early pace did not suit him.

Harris Tweed had thrived since his run for 10th in the Caulfield Cup last month. "He is really a different horse now."

Harris Tweed, Daffodil and fellow New Zealander Capecover were all well back early in the race and not suited by the slow tempo.

"We did not have a lot of room at the top of the straight but he just whacked away when we got out. It was an even run," said Harris.

Gallions Reach and Spin Around were both forward early, but ran out of puff in the straight, while expatriate New Zealand trainer Chris Waller's English import Warringah led early but drifted out to finish last .

Recession or no recession, New Zealanders splurged $7.91 million at the TAB on the Melbourne Cup alone.

"This is the third highest turnover on record, and it was up 4.1 percent on last year," New Zealand Racing Board racing manager Michael Dore said.

The record turnover was in 2005, when $8.13 million was spent, and 2006, when the figure was $7.95m.

Last year, New Zealanders bet $7.6m on the race.