By MIKE DILLON
Lance O'Sullivan has withdrawn his appeal against his one-month suspension and will not ride Rijeka in the Auckland Cup.
And part of the reason is his winning ride at Ellerslie yesterday, Princess Marengo in the $120,000 Mercedes Super Bonus Fillies Prelude.
The Matamata jockey was given a one-month suspension for his ride on favourite Ambitious at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
He was prepared to risk an extension of the suspension and a possible bill for expenses at the appeal, set for tomorrow morning, in an effort to ride Rijeka.
"I was hanging everything on one ride and I have to weigh up whether it's worth it," said O'Sullivan after making his decision just before the last race yesterday.
"Princess Marengo is a huge chance in a $475,000 race at Te Rapa on February 5. If I appeal, I'll miss that race.
"The other thing I have to consider is that I'm carrying some injuries at the moment and the time off might just be what my body needs."
O'Sullivan crashed just after the finish of a race at Tauranga less than two weeks ago and hit the turf again when dropped two strides after the start in an early race at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
"The leg I broke badly is giving me some strife after the falls and my wrist is sore and having to be strapped and my shoulder and hip are bruised from the fall on Boxing Day.
"The body's telling me something."
Trudy Collett was last night engaged for Rijeka and her original ride, Mulqueen, was taken up by Derby-winning jockey Vinny Colgan.
The appeal was going to be a giant hassle for O'Sullivan after his counsel, former stipendiary steward Ginger Tankard, withdrew his services yesterday morning, claiming holding an appeal so soon after the event was farcical.
"There simply was not time to prepare a proper defence," said Tankard.
"Lance was riding at Ellerslie today, at Tauranga tomorrow and had to be at the hearing at 9.30 am on Thursday. That's an impossible time frame."
Princess Marengo, a raging favourite, looked a coming star when she kept finding more when challenged after leading yesterday.
The way she extended her athletic stride in the home straight suggested she could end up with a very high ranking by the end of the autumn.
"She'll just keep getting better and better," predicted co-trainer Keith Hawtin.
John Lee, who has 16 horses in training in Australia with the filly's co-trainer Graeme Rogerson, made the trip from Hong Kong to see Princess Marengo win. Lee has nearly 60 horses in training in Australia.
Racing: Lance chooses filly over Cup
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