New Gold Coast apprentice jockey Alex Patis slapped with four week suspension

Gold Coast’s newest apprentice jockey Alex Patis has been slapped with a month-long suspension for failing to ride Just Favulous to the line on her first day of racing in Queensland.

GOLD Coast’s newest apprentice jockey Alex Patis has been slapped with a month-long suspension for failing to ride Just Favulous to the line on her first day of racing in Queensland.

The 19-year-old looked set to win Saturday’s Benchmark 65 Handicap (1300m) at Toowoomba with the Donald Baker-trained gelding before allegedly failing to ride the mount to the line.

Patis recently returned to the Gold Coast to continue her apprenticeship with trainer Helen Page.

A Racing Queensland stewards report state: “Apprentice Patis advised that when leading the event she misjudged the location of the winning post and, after having thought she had won the event, she stopped riding from this point,” the statement read.

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“Apprentice A. Patis was subsequently found guilty of a charge under AR. 131(b) in that she failed to ride her horse out to the end of the race.

“Apprentice Patis’ licence to ride in races was suspended for a period of four weeks to commence at midnight on Sunday, October 6, and conclude at midnight on Sunday November, 3.

Former Gold Coaster Alex Patis has returned to the city to continue her racing apprenticeship under Helen Page after spending time in Victoria and Tasmania. Picture: Jerad Williams

“In determining penalty, stewards took into consideration apprentice Patis’ submissions regarding her relative inexperience as an apprentice jockey, and that this was the first occasion on which she was riding at the venue.

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“Stewards were however also mindful that apprentice Patis’ had committed a high range breach of the rule in that her actions had, in the opinion of Stewards, cost her mount first placing having regard to the short head margin between Just Favulous and the first placegetter (Archer’s Treasure).”