Damien Oliver is set to miss the plum ride on Fiorente in the Cox Plate after being suspended at Caulfield on Wednesday.

Despite a spirited defence from Oliver, stewards found him guilty of careless riding aboard Zonza in the Snowhite Maintenance Classic and suspended him for 12 meetings after ruling the degree of carelessness to be in the high range.

Oliver emphasised to stewards that the spring carnival was one of the worst times of year for a jockey to be forced to the sidelines.

"The Caulfield Cup is on Saturday, I've got a nice ride in that. Then there's the Geelong Cup on Wednesday, the Manikato Stakes on Friday night and then the Cox Plate," Oliver said.

"I'll have rides in all those features and probably one of the favourites in the Cox Plate so a suspension at this time of year is obviously not good."

Oliver's ban starts after Saturday's Caulfield Cup meeting where he rides Jet Away in the feature race and he is unable to return until October 31, ruling him out of the Cox Plate on Saturday week and also the Manikato Stakes the night before.

Oliver had picked up the ride on Cox Plate third favourite Fiorente last Sunday week after Nash Rawiller was sacked from the star import.

Ironically, Rawiller will also miss the Cox Plate meeting after being suspended for careless riding at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Oliver didn't comment on whether he would appeal as he left the course.