Trainer Stephen Jones has 3½-year ban restarted after visit to Magic Millions Sales

A banned trainer has had his disqualification period recommenced after being found guilty of breaching the rules while sidelined.

Banned trainer Stephen Jones.

The three-and-a-half-year ban being served by prominent country trainer Stephen Jones has been restarted after the Scone-based conditioner was found guilty of breaching the conditions of his disqualification.

In February this year, the NSW Racing Appeal Tribunal upheld the three-and-a-half-year disqualification Jones was handed by Racing NSW stewards for a string of charges relating to the race-day treatment of horses.

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Jones, who has prepared more than 550 winners during his training career, was sidelined until October, 2027 as a result of the unsuccessful appeal bid, in which he pleaded not guilty to all but four of the 18 charges laid against him.

But in March, while under disqualifaction, Jones made an application to Racing NSW seeking approval to attend the Magic Millions Yearling Sales on the Gold Coast in June.

Following “careful consideration” of the approach, Racing NSW ultimately refused the application.

Trainer Stephen Jones has been sidelined for 3½ years

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In the aftermath of the Magic Millions Sales, Racing NSW received information which led to the commencement of an investigation as to whether Jones did in fact attend the sales grounds.

The evidence tendered alleged Jones “entered the sales at 9.03am on June 2, 2025 before exiting a few hours later at 11.11am”.

Stewards invited Jones to make submissions with respect to the allegations before consideration of all the available evidence and submissions led to Stewards being satisfied that Jones had in fact breached Australian Rule of Racing AR263(1)(m).

The rule states that the disqualification period imposed on a person will automatically restart if the person breaches the rules.

As a result, Jones’ three-and-a-half-year ban will now expire in December, 2028.

Originally published as Trainer Stephen Jones has 3½-year ban restarted after visit to Magic Millions Sales