Latest News

Racing NSW Stewards today continued an inquiry which was adjourned from Saturday, 28 August 2021 into apprentice Amy McLucas’s riding of 6th placed Obelos in Race 7 (Goulburn Express Freight Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1400m) at the Illawarra Turf Club race meeting conducted at Goulburn on Saturday, 28 August 2021.

Further evidence was taken from apprentice Ms Amy McLucas and Mr James Ponsonby, trainer of Obelos, and evidence was also taken from Ms McLucas’ co-masters Ms Emma Longmire and Ms Lucy Longmire. A report prepared by Mr H Smithers – RNSW Form & Betting Analyst and tendered into evidence did not reveal any integrity concerns in respect to betting activity on the race.

Ms A McLucas was found guilty of a charge under AR129(2) which states:

AR129(2) A rider must take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that the rider’s horse is given full opportunity to win or to obtain the best possible place in the field.

The details of the charge being that as the rider of Obelos in Race 7 (Goulburn Express Freight Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1400m) at the Illawarra Turf Club race meeting conducted at Goulburn on Saturday, 28 August 2021, she did fail to take all reasonable and permissible measures on that gelding throughout the said race to ensure that Obelos was given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible place in the field in the field in that by reason of all or part of the following particulars;

1) Between approximately the 800m and the 600m she continually restrained her mount and in doing so failed to maintain an advantageous position behind Rockarosa when it was reasonable and permissible for her to have maintained that position.

2) Between approximately the 600m and until approximately the 400m she failed to improve her position to be closer to Rockarosa when it was reasonable and permissible for her to do so.

3) That between the 400m and until the 300m she rode Obelos with insufficient vigour and purpose to improve Obelos into a more competitive position.

4) That between the 300m and the 150m she remained positioned behind Rockarosa where she did fail to ride Obelos with sufficient vigour and purpose when it was reasonable and permissible for her to have shifted to the outside of Rockarosa where her mount would have been afforded clear running.

5) In all circumstances from the 600m until the 150m she did ride Obelos with insufficient vigour and purpose.

6) Obelos was not given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible place in the race as a result of the matters alleged in the previous four particulars.

Penalty
App Ms A McLucas’s permit to ride in races was suspended for a period of three weeks to commence on Monday, 20 September 2021 and to expire on Monday, 11 October 2021 on which day she may ride. In assessing penalty, Stewards took into consideration that this was Ms McLucas’s first breach of the Rule and also her relative inexperience being an apprentice jockey.