Two Australian apprentice jockeys have been slapped with hefty bans after videos emerged online appearing to show one of the riders allegedly sniffing white powder, which she later claimed to be cocaine.
Amy Graham was seen in the clip appearing to snort the substance from a saucer at her home, before standing up, smiling while waving two fingers at the camera.
She has since been handed a six-month suspension by Queensland’s Racing Integrity Commission for bringing the image of racing into disrepute and providing misleading evidence during the inquiry.
A second apprentice rider, Sophie Wilcock, was handed a three-month ban after she was found to have given false evidence to stewards in relation to the same incident.
Ms Wilcock had initially told the inquiry that she had not seen any cocaine being ingested at Ms Graham’s residence before stewards had shown her a clip of herself alongside Ms Graham during the video.
Ms Graham, Ms Wilcock and a third jockey, Ms Casey Waddell, were stood down by stewards in September after the videos emerged.
Jockey Amy Graham has been handed a four-month suspension from racing after a video emerged online of her appearing to snort cocaine
Ms Graham pleaded not guilty to charges of bringing the image of racing into disrepute and misleading Queensland’s Racing Integrity Commission’s inquiry
At the beginning of her initial hearing in September, Ms Graham claimed that the clip had been leaked as ‘part of a vendetta’ towards her.
She also told chief steward Josh Adams: ‘It seems I was ingesting some sort of white powder, I believe it was cocaine.’ She stated: ‘I wasn’t initially aware it was being filmed,’ and recalled asking the person with the camera to delete the footage.
Ms Graham pleaded not guilty to engaging in conduct that was prejudicial to the image, interests, integrity or welfare of racing. She also pleaded not guilty to a second charge under AR 232(i) of giving false or misleading evidence during an inquiry, investigation or hearing.
‘On the evidence, Ms Graham was clearly identifiable in the video,’ a stewards’ report said. ‘The Stewards were satisfied that she was aware she was being filmed on a smart device.’
The report adds: ‘While the conduct occurred in a private setting, the subsequent publication of the footage identifying Ms Graham as a licensed participant has prejudiced the image and reputation of the racing industry.
‘The Stewards are satisfied that Ms Graham had knowledge that the act of consuming cocaine was being filmed, and, based on the contradictory evidence provided regarding who filmed the video, are not satisfied that any genuine request was made to delete the recording.
‘Although the Stewards accept that Ms Graham did not personally disseminate the footage, the fact that the conduct became public necessarily engages the integrity obligations imposed upon all licence holders.
At the beginning of her initial hearing in September, Ms Graham claimed that the clip had been leaked as ‘part of a vendetta’ towards her
Casey Waddell said she had no idea she was being filmed at the time of the alleged incident
‘The false evidence provided to the Stewards was deliberate and went to the core of the inquiry’s fact-finding function.
‘Such conduct undermines the integrity of the disciplinary process and warrants a significant penalty.’
Graham will now have her licence suspended for an initial period of four months, with the final two months of the ban being suspended should certain conditions be met.
Ms Waddell’s case is still ongoing after she was charged under AR 228(a) for engaging in conduct that was prejudicial to the image of racing.
