Jockey in the clear

A JOCKEY handed an 11- day suspension over an incident at a Townsville Turf Club race meeting has been cleared of wrongdoing by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Matthew McGillivray had been found guilty by racing stewards of excessively slowing his horse, causing interference to a race on June 20, 2017.

The stewards said he excessively reduced the speed of his mount approaching and passing the winning post on the first occasion, resulting in jockey Bonnie Thomson, on Rabobank, shifting onto McGillivray’s horse’s heels and being checked.

McGillivray was suspended for 10 days.

McGillivray sought an internal review with the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission, who upheld the decision and amended the penalty to 11 days, but now that decision has been overturned.

In a hearing before QCAT, video footage of the race was reviewed, with stipendiary steward James Williamson in evidence saying McGillivray obtained the lead and began steadying his horse about 150m before passing the win- ning post and at 100m, Thomson shifted in behind him and he slowed his speed excessively.

Mr Williamson stated in an affidavit that vision of the incident showed Thomson tried to shift from McGillivray’s horse’s heels and could not do so.

But jockey David Hayse, who rode the winning horse in the race, gave evidence Thomson put her horse directly behind McGillivray’s horse when the pace was very slow and she had to grab the reins as if to stop, causing a “concertina effect” on horses behind.

Hayse told QCAT Thomson made a poor decision and could have gone around McGillivray.

QCAT member James Allen said based on his viewing of the video he was not persuaded there was any one point where McGillivray excessively slowed his horse.

“The actions of Jockey Thomson in checking her horse are not necessarily the result of Mr McGillivray excessively slowing his mount,” Allen said.

“While the checking of a mount may indicate when the excessive slowing may have occurred, it does not prove that he excessively slowed his mount.”

OVERTURNED: Jockey Matthew McGillivray has won his appeal against suspension over his ride in Townsville a year ago.