Jamie Kah white powder case analysis: Why this black eye for racing was self-inflicted

Who won? No one. What was the ‘white powder’? Irrelevant. If these were the findings, why did it take six months for the Jamie Kah case to be resolved?

Jamie Kah (right) leaves a hearing on the white powder matter in Melbourne in November. Picture: Tony Gough

This black eye for racing was self-inflicted.

Six months after star jockey Jamie Kah faced a charge of conduct prejudicial to the image of the racing, the case was dismissed by the Victorian Racing Tribunal.

Who won? No one.

Even the barristers on both sides of the matter, while well remunerated, needed not spend months unravelling trivial acts of stupidity encapsulated in an 11-second video clip.

Kah stupidly invited into her home a person she met four hours earlier on June 17 and, after midnight, poured a white powder on to a plate and proceeded to rake the substance into three lines.

Co-accused Ruby McIntyre, a registered stablehand, stupidly and “surreptitiously” recorded Kah’s “immature, irresponsible and reckless” act and shared the vision privately with a friend on social media.

• ‘So relieved’: Jamie Kah speaks out after white powder charge dismissed

Stablehand Ruby McIntyre.

There is no suggestion or evidence Kah did anything with the white powder, other than arrange the substance with an identification card belonging to McIntyre.

The champion jockey, subjected to more than 100 drug tests during her career to date, including random screens, has never tested positive to a banned or illicit substance.

The white powder, in this instance, as the tribunal expressed on Friday, was irrelevant to the case against Kah despite publicity of the matter being “centred upon your name, the image of the white substance and the use of the card”.

The tribunal had to be satisfied Kah brought racing into disrepute and a three-member panel, chaired by Judge John Bowman, could not on the facts and evidence heard.

The panel accepted Kah, entitled to privacy in her own home, could not have known, without prior warning, she was being filmed, nor any vision be shared beyond the table.

Case closed for Kah at least — 214 days after the video was taken and disseminated.

• How the Jamie Kah white powder scandal unfolded

Jamie Kah gives a thumbs up after winning the Doveton Stakes at Caulfield aboard Ghaanati on December 2. Picture: Reg Ryan / Racing Photos

Spare a thought also for the self-represented McIntyre, who has a month to assemble character references ahead of a penalty hearing on January 18.

A decision on penalty is likely to then be reserved and handed down on a date to be fixed.

McIyntre, found guilty on Friday of conduct prejudicial to the image of racing, at the earliest could be sanctioned exactly seven months to the date after her “reckless” action.

The time between the alleged act of misconduct to the dismissal, or penalty, is simply unacceptable.

This Kah-McIntyre matter, in principle, should have been settled in days and weeks — certainly not six months – with a streamlined framework.

• ‘Cowards, disrespectful’: Jamie Kah’s barrister slams case against jockey

BREAKING: Star jockey Jamie Kah has been CLEARED of conduct prejudicial to the image of racing in relation to the white powder controversy 👇

UPDATED STORY: https://t.co/qNKkjTXHoupic.twitter.com/28AucnHJln

— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) December 14, 2023

Racing Victoria, as revealed by this masthead on Friday, has already made a pitch to downgrade select rule breaches, like conduct prejudicial from a “serious offence” to “general offence”, in a bid to fast-track matters, saving time and money for all parties.

General offences under the Rules of Racing are heard and handled by stewards whereas a serious breach must be sent directly to the VRT.

Racenet understands the application is currently before the Victorian Racing Integrity Board, an independent government body.

It cannot be processed quickly enough.

Racing must get out of the dark ages.

Originally published as Jamie Kah white powder case analysis: Why this black eye for racing was self-inflicted