Rocky Cup winning jockey Les Tilley in substance trouble

A third jockey riding at Rockhampton has been outed after he tested positive to a banned substance. Find out what happened here.

Rockhampton Cup winning jockey Les Tilley has been suspended after testing positive to a banned substance while riding at Callaghan Park.

Tilley, who is a regular fly-in jockey at race meetings at Rockhampton and Mackay, provided a positive urine sample at the Rocky races on October 5 and he subsequently pleaded guilty to an offence under the rules of racing.

Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards outed Tilley for four weeks - a suspension which runs until November 19.

Tilley is the third jockey in recent times to find themselves in trouble at Central Queensland racetracks with Mackay-based Trinity Bannon and Rockhampton’s Tasha Chambers also getting in strife.

It is QRIC practice now, following a policy change, not to reveal what the banned substances are when it involves jockeys.

Gatton Cup winning jockey Les “Bubba” Tilley, rides Hellava Babe back to the mounting yard. PHOTO: Ali Kuchel.

Tilley made submissions to a stewards’ panel about why the banned substance was in his system.

In determining penalty, stewards were mindful of the circumstances of this particular case, Tilley’s record in regard to this rule, penalty precedents and his forthright evidence and co-operation throughout the inquiry.

Tilley must provide a urine sample free of any banned substances before he can ride again.

As of Monday afternoon, Tilley had not appealed the QRIC ruling.

Jockey Tasha Chambers.

Meanwhile, Rockhampton jockey and trainer Tasha Chambers has appealed a 12-month ban imposed by QRIC recently after she failed to provide a urine sample as directed.

Although Chambers has lodged a challenge at QRIC internal review, she does not have a stay of proceedings and therefore is still unable to ride or train.

Chambers has said she will “vigorously fight” the lengthy disqualification.