EXCLUSIVE: Chad Schofield’s Gold Coast Magic Millions appeal win heading to Queensland Supreme Court

Chad Schofield was freed from a riding suspension to ride on the rescheduled Gold Coast Magic Millions day, but now stewards are taking the appeal finding to the Queensland Supreme Court for a judicial review.

Star jockey Chad Schofield. Picture: Getty Images.

The unique decision of a racing appeals board to shave a riding suspension to allow Group 1-winning jockey Chad Schofield to ride at the rescheduled Gold Coast Magic Millions meeting is headed for a Supreme Court showdown.

News Corp has learned the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) is seeking a judicial review of the Schofield appeal decision, believing that the Queensland Racing Appeals Panel erred in a matter of law.

Sydney jockey Schofield had received a 13-day careless riding suspension from a Sunshine Coast meeting and was set to start his suspension after riding at the Gold Coast Magic Millions meeting on January 11.

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However, when a torrential downpour saw Magic Millions day abandoned after three races, Schofield’s suspension would have ruled him out of the postponed Magic Millions card which was run under lights the following Friday.

“This meeting has been postponed to a later date and I have been advised that I cannot fulfil these obligations by QRIC at the race meeting with $13.5m worth of prizemoney,” Schofield had told the Racing Appeals Panel in a statement.

“I feel if this decision stands, I am basically serving an extra penalty for a meeting of this high priority race meeting.”

Schofield had been booked to ride Mick Price and Michael Kent-Jr trained colt Space Rider which would have started as one of the favoured runners in the $3m Magic Millions 2YO Classic (it subsequently failed to gain a start as an emergency).

Jockey Chad Schofield. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

• How Chad Schofield was cleared to ride on Magic Millions night

Schofield made it clear he was not appealing the charge or the penalty, but, rather, he said of the matter: “I feel it is the same race meeting and that I should be allowed to meet those commitments and it basically be classified as the same meeting as I was allowed to ride.”

RAP decided to shave a day off Schofield’s suspension, freeing him to ride at the rescheduled Magic Millions meeting.

Although it noted: “It should be made plain that this decision is confined to the circumstances of this particular case.

“In no sense should it be seen as providing a mechanism by which in the usual case an order for suspension can be circumvented, or as a way in which a suspended jockey can pick and choose at which race meetings to serve his or her suspension.”

QRIC is seeking a Supreme Court review of the matter, under the Judicial Review Act 1991.

The matter is set for a directions hearing in the Queensland Supreme Court on Wednesday.

With the matter before court, QRIC would not comment on the case.

Queensland’s Racing Appeals Panel launched in 2023, replacing the former Queensland Civil Administration Tribunal (QCAT) appeals system which relates to racing stewards’ decisions.

The former QCAT appeals system for racing degenerated into a farce, with cases taking many months and even years to wind their way through the system.

Originally published as EXCLUSIVE: Chad Schofield’s Gold Coast Magic Millions appeal win heading to Queensland Supreme Court