Whiteley fights charges over beaten favourite
Leading north Queensland jockey Chris Whiteley has declared he is not guilty of the charges that resulted in a two-month riding ban.
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Leading North Queensland jockey Chris Whiteley has declared he is not guilty of charges that resulted in a two-month riding ban.
The Cairns Amateurs Cup winning hoop was on Monday suspended after a stewards inquiry into one of his rides at Cannon Park last month.
On Tuesday, the 45-year-old lodged an appeal and a stay of proceedings, so he can continue to ride.
It is the worst time of the year to be suspended for north Queensland-based hoops, with the Mackay, Townsville and Cairns carnival periods over the next month or so.
At Cairns Jockey Club on Tuesday afternoon, the respected rider said he was innocent of the charge, after being found guilty by QRIC of: 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.
“I am not guilty of the charge,” Whiteley said.
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“They found three parts of the race that I was guilty of those charges, and I feel I am not guilty against any of them.
“It is going to appeal so I cannot say too much.”
The inquiry was into Whiteley’s ride on Silent Explorer last month at Cannon Park where the gelding was sent out as a $1.30 favourite, jumped first out of the barriers before being restrained to near the back of the field.
He and Silent Explorer, trained by Cairns’ Stephen Massingham, went back to second last in the seven-horse event, before getting going at the 600m mark, and while they rocketed home, they were unable to run down the Janel Ryan-trained Tambo’s Heart, ridden by Nathan Day.
Whiteley had five rides on Tuesday afternoon at Cannon Park, which included an early winner on Full Recognition in the Class 6 Plate (950m).
The leading north Queensland jockey, Whiteley based himself in the region during the recent coronavirus zoned racing.
He has been in hot form of late as well, riding four winners at Rockhampton on Saturday and will have a number of winning chances on Friday at Mackay.
His ban would have been served from midnight August 4 until midnight October 4, if Whiteley had not lodged a stay of proceedings.
Originally published as Whiteley fights charges over beaten favourite