Victorian Racing Tribunal cuts Will Gordon’s suspension for importing unapproved jockeys vets

A dual licence holder will miss a month after the Victorian Racing Tribunal lowered his suspension for supplying his fellow riders with nonconforming jockey vests sourced from South Africa.

Jockey Will Gordon had a suspension for misconduct shortened in a Victorian Racing Tribunal hearing. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Dual licence holder Will Gordon has had a win at the Victorian Racing Tribunal after he appealed a suspension relating to the importation of nonconforming jockey vests.

Stewards suspended Gordon, who rides both on the flat and over jumps, for three months after finding him guilty of buying 11 unapproved jockeys vests from a South African supplier and distributing them to 10 other jockeys.

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Gordon initially pleaded not guilty to the stewards’ charge of engaging in misconduct or improper conduct but changed his plea to guilty at a hearing on Tuesday, meaning he appealed the severity of the suspension.

Racing Victoria stewards’ counsel Marwan El-Asmar submitted the appropriate penalty was a two-month suspension.

The VRT heard Gordon bought the vests, which are slightly lighter than the approved Australian version, from South Africa on behalf of jockeys who requested them.

Jumps jockey Will Gordon won the Grand National Hurdle on Affluential earlier this month. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

The three-person panel, headed by Judge John Bowman, heard Gordon made no financial gain from the purchases, as shown by stewards’ inspection of his financial records.

“Essentially these lighter vests were used by the relevant jockeys when weighing out,” the VRT judgement read.

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“It is also not suggested that you put any pressure on your colleagues to purchase these vests. “Word seems to have got around about them without you putting any sales pressure on your

colleagues and, as stated, no financial benefit flowed to you.”

The VRT agreed with El-Asmar that Gordon’s offences warranted a suspension, imposing a two-month penalty but suspended one month for a year on the proviso Gordon did not commit a relevant offence.

Gordon did not challenge a $2000 fine for weighing out in the offending “Racelite imitation safety vest”.

Originally published as Victorian Racing Tribunal cuts Will Gordon’s suspension for importing unapproved jockeys vets