Latest twists in star jockey’s ‘white powder’ scandal
First she was banned from racing for hosting an illegal Airbnb party, then she suffered a horror fall, then video of Jamie Kah with “white powder” surfaced, resulting in the top jockey being hauled before a tribunal.
Victoria
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First she was banned from racing for hosting an illegal Airbnb party in breach of Covid restrictions, now video of Jamie Kah cutting up white powder has circulated online, resulting in the top jockey being hauled before a tribunal for allegedly damaging the image of racing.
Kah has not fronted the tribunal alone, also facing the music for the white powder video that found its way online is stablehand Ruby McIntyre — who did the filming.
Both Kah and McIntyre have pleaded not guilty to charges laid by stewards of ‘conduct prejudicial to the image, interests, integrity or welfare of racing’ — in AFL language, that pretty much equals bringing the game into disrepute.
In the final day of a tribunal hearing on Monday of this week, lawyers for the women argued the vexed point of “blameworthiness”.
They, and the Australian public, will learn their fate at a future date after all the evidence has been carefully considered.
In the meantime, here’s how Jamie Kah’s star has risen, fallen, risen, then fallen again in recent years.
July 2021: A star is born
In mid 2021 Kah was being lauded as possibly the best female athlete Australia had ever seen — competing with the likes of Cathy Freeman, Raelene Boyle and Dawn Fraser for the crown.
At that time, the then just 25-year-old jockey had landed her 100th Melbourne winner of the season, in a feat no jockey had managed before. Talented, gutsy and competitive, Kah was hailed a national sporting hero.
August 2021: Illegal Airbnb party ban
Kah was among four high-profile jockeys handed three-month bans from Racing Victoria following an illegal Airbnb gathering on the Mornington Peninsula. Jamie Kah, her on-again-off-again love interest Ben Melham, Ethan Brown and Celine Gaudray were fined more than $5000 by Victoria Police for Covid restriction breaches, and Kah copped a career-damaging and costly three month ban from racing. Jamie Kah’s three-month spring carnival-ending ban was thought to have cost her about $300,000 in prizemoney for winners alone. The six-figure sum excluded any riding fees, bonuses, endorsements and any prizemoney paid on minor placings.
December 2021: No fairytale return
Kah is back in the saddle racing, but didn’t enjoy the fairytale comeback she hoped for.
She returned with two seconds on favourites Inner Spirit and Dawn County at Mornington and then drove the 85km — about a 1½ hour drive — to The Valley for two unplaced rides.
September 2022: Reveals she nearly quit
In her first mainstream media interview since her suspension was lifted at the end of November 2021, Kah told News Corp glossy mag Stellar: “It was the worst time of my life, easily. I’ve worked so hard to make this image of myself. I just wanted to be the best. I wanted to please everyone. And I didn’t want people to hate me. I used to get really upset with people not liking me. And when that happened, I thought I’d let down so many people in the world, and that just killed me. I was not in a good place for a while.”
Many of Kah’s designated mounts for the 2021 Spring Carnival season went on to win with other jockeys.
“It was kicking me when I was down,” she said, adding that it made her want to quit the sport. “I just didn’t want to be in the industry. I didn’t want to be there.”
March 11, 2023: Horror track fall
After a terrible race fall at Flemington, Kah was rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and put into an induced coma. She was later transferred to the Epworth. She battled to get herself back in the saddle after that, with her memory of the accident completely gone.
June 2023: Kah filmed with white powder
Video surfaces on social media of Kah and her friends, including greyhound trainer Jacob Biddell and new acquaintance, stablehand Ruby McIntyre, sitting around a table with a plate of white powder arranged in lines at Kah’s home on June 17.
Still shots from the video were later circulated and widely reported in the media. Mr Biddell has received a conditional suspended one-month ban for his part in the scandal.
Nov 13, 2023: Kah faces tribunal
Kah tells the hearing she didn’t know she was being filmed. “People say I should’ve known, but I didn’t know she was taking that video,” Kah said. “I got the screenshot of the video the night before it went public to the press.” The hearing heard Kah text messaged the stablehand shortly before the explosive images were published in the media saying: “What the f**k are those photos doing going around. Who has them?” When asked why she texted McIntyre, Kah said: “I wanted to know who she sent the videos or photo to. I still to this day don’t know how they got to the media.”
November 27: Back at the tribunal
After much argument between Kah’s lawyers and opposing counsel on the central issue of blameworthiness and recklessness — as far as it damaged, or didn’t, the industry’s image —
Judge John Bowman says the three-member tribunal panel, which includes Des Gleeson and Maree Payne, would reveal its decision at a later date.
“We are not going to give a ruling on the spot ... I can’t give you a time frame, all I can say is we’ll do it as quickly as possible,” he said.
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