Banned jockey pledges to ‘rebuild the faith’
APPRENTICE jockey Celine Gaudray has vowed to “rebuild the faith that people have shown in me” following her involvement in the Mornington Airbnb house party and her subsequent lying to stewards.
Gaudray, 20, who elected not to appeal the severity of her initial three-month suspension, pleaded guilty on Friday to a separate charge of giving false or misleading evidence to stewards during the probe into the party, a breach of Covid rules.
After a succinct 12-minute hearing, the Victorian Racing Tribunal agreed with stewards that an eight-week ban was appropriate for providing misleading evidence.
In handing down the penalty, judge John Bowman confirmed the penalty must be served cumulatively but that six of the eight weeks would be suspended for two years.
The charge relates to Gaudray, one of five jockeys to breach the state government and Racing Victoria Covid regulations by attending the August 25 house party, failing to inform stewards that Mark Zahra had also attended.
“Giving false evidence to stewards is understandably a serious offence even in the best of times,” judge Bowman said.
“The party is serious in the context of the coronavirus and restrictions on movement and assembly … the event could’ve been disastrous and giving false evidence about it could have had very serious consequences.
“We regard the proposed penalty as being sensible and appropriate.” Earlier in the hearing, Gaudray, who will be sidelined until mid-December, apologised to the government, RV, fellow racing participants and the entire Victorian community.
“I now understand the seriousness of my actions and for that I am disappointed with myself, deeply remorseful and extremely sorry,” she said.
“I intend to work very hard to rebuild the faith that people have shown in me.”
The other jockeys at the Mornington rental – Zahra, Jamie Kah, Ben Melham and Ethan Brown – will return to the VRT next week, with Kah to appear on Monday.