‘Brain snap’ lands jockey Rory Hutchings in hot water with stewards
It was a busy first day on the job for new Chief Steward Tom Moxon at Randwick on Saturday with a jockey suspended for making an improper remark after he tried to weigh out without his vest.
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Jockey Rory Hutchings was suspended at Royal Randwick on Saturday after he was caught trying to weigh out without his riding vest before making an improper remark to a race day official.
Hutchings, who only recently returned from injury, has battled his weight throughout his career and it again caused him problems prior to the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation 2YO Handicap.
Hutchings was booked to ride the Chris Waller-trained Providence before being stood down.
The jockey attempted to weigh out without his riding vest which is a requirement under the Australian rules of racing. When questioned over his action by the Clerk Of Scales, Mr David Sylvester, Hutchings commented: “I’ll look after you”.
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A remorseful Hutchings told stewards his “words came out all wrong” and he wasn’t trying to influence Mr Sylvester to overlook his actions.
“That was not the meaning which I meant,” Hutchings told stewards.
“I said it obviously, but it was a quite stressful time, I was in a rush and my words came out completely wrong.”
Chief steward Tom Moxon pressed Hutchings on his statement, asking the jockey “would it be accepted that a reasonable person would take those words to mean you were trying to have the Clerk of Scales allow you to weigh out and turn a blind eye to the fact that you were attempting to weigh out without a vest in order to make the weight?”.
“I understand where you are coming from sir but all I can tell you is what I meant and where I was coming from,” Hutchings said.
“When I said that Mr Sylvester didn’t react to the comment and had he done so I would have apologised and explained to him what I meant so I just ran in, got my vest and weighed out again.
“I understand how he’s taken it. At the time, because I didn’t mean it how I said it, I didn’t realise how serious it was.
“I do again apologise because there was no intent or that meaning as such.
“It was a brain snap.”
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Stewards found Hutchings guilty of an “improper action” and issued a four-week suspension while he was also suspended for three weeks for attempting to weigh out without his vest.
The two suspensions were ruled to be served concurrently, meaning Hutchings will only be sidelined for four weeks from June 1 until June 29.
Meanwhile, Chad Schofield will be free to ride in Queensland on Stradbroke Handicap Day after copping a seven-meeting careless riding suspension.
The ban will sideline him after next Saturday, where he’ll ride at Eagle Farm, before he returns on June 13, the day before Queensland’s biggest race.
Tom Moxon will soon take over at Racing NSW chief steward.https://t.co/uEzXGKXOcD
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In other news out of the Randwick stewards’ room, convicted rogue vaper Tom Sherry was issued with a warning after an official alleged to stewards’ he was vaping in the jockeys room.
Sherry denied that he’d been vaping but did concede he had a vape in his presence.
Moxon, the newly appointed chief stipe, told Sherry: “We’ll be giving you and the jockeys’ association a direction to convey to their members that a vape is not to be in a riders possession, similar to a mobile phone, while in the jockeys room.
“Vaping is prohibited in the jockeys’ room and it will be an offence moving forward if one is found in your presence while you’re in the room.”
Originally published as ‘Brain snap’ lands jockey Rory Hutchings in hot water with stewards
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