Jockey Ben Melham is clear to ride Mirage Dancer in the Melbourne Cup despite a suspension at The Valley.
Melham plans to appeal the severity of an eight-meeting suspension for careless riding aboard Broadwayandfourth in Saturday’s Crockett Stakes.
The suspension starts immediately ruling Melham out of next Saturday’s meeting at Flemington where he has the ride on Southern Moon in the Victoria Derby.
Southern Moon sits on the fifth line of betting at $11 for the Derby.
As it stands his suspension finishes at the conclusion of the Flemington meeting, enabling Melham to return to ride Mirage Dancer, currently a $26 chance, in the Melbourne Cup on November 5.
Brad Rawiller was fined $750 on a whip breach on Black Heart Bart in the Cox Plate.