Sexual abuse allegation against top trainer Gerald Ryan headed for Victorian Supreme Court trial

Hours of court-ordered mediation fails to resolve a sexual abuse allegation made by former jockey Jamie Evans against top racing identity Gerald Ryan, with the matter now headed to a civil trial.

Trainer Gerald Ryan (left) and former jumps jockey Jamie Evans. Pictures: File

A sexual abuse allegation made by former jockey Jamie Evans against top racing identity Gerald Ryan is heading for a Victorian Supreme Court civil trial after mediation between the parties failed to settle the matter.

News Corp can reveal several hours of Court-ordered mediation ended on Wednesday with no agreement.

The matter is listed for trial in the Victorian Supreme Court, with 10 days set aside for the trial which is scheduled to start on April 1.

Evans is suing Ryan, alleging that after he was headbutted by a horse and fell asleep in a car, he woke to discover Ryan performing a sex act on him.

The historical allegation is part of a civil claim against Ryan, a multiple Group 1-winning Sydney trainer who was a jockey in Victoria at the time Evans alleges he was abused in the 1980s.

Ryan has previously denied the allegations and when police investigated the allegations in 2009, no charges were laid.

Last week, when contacted by News Corp, Ryan said: “I can’t (comment) … I’m not allowed to.”

In an unrelated incident not involving Ryan, but which forms part of the broader civil claim, Evans alleges he had a carrot “inserted into my anus” as part of a horrific initiation ritual in a Victorian stable in the 1980s.

Former jumps jockey Jamie Evans has launched a civil suit against trainer Gerald Ryan over a historic sexual abuse allegation. Picture: David Caird

• Former jockey Jamie Evans sues Gerald Ryan over sexual abuse allegation

Evans, whose life later spiralled out of control, is suing Ryan and the Victoria Racing Club Ltd.

Victoria Racing Club Ltd was responsible for conducting thoroughbred racing in Victoria until 2001.

Evans alleges the VRC was negligent by not exercising a duty of care to prevent him being injured when he was an apprentice jockey.

Last week, Evans told News Corp that if the matter could not be settled at mediation, he would look forward to his day in court.

It is understood that Evans’ position is that any trial should be conducted in open court and able to be reported by the media, although there may be the potential for suppression orders on some witnesses or parts of the evidence.

Trainer Gerald Ryan at Warwick Farm in 2016. Picture: Mark Evans

Wednesday’s mediation process, ordered by the Supreme Court Of Victoria, was a discussion between the parties.

What was said is kept confidential and discussions are not recorded by the court, as an independent mediator aimed to help the parties identify a range of possible solutions and work towards an agreement.

Ryan is a former jockey who for the past three decades has been one of Australia’s top racehorse trainers.

He has 25 Group 1 wins as a trainer, the first of which was the 1994 Blue Diamond Stakes with Hurricane Sky.

In 2020, Ryan entered a training partnership with Sterling Alexiou and the training team won the 2022 Group 1 Epsom with Ellsberg.

As a trainer in his own right, Ryan has trained more than 2000 winners with more than $90m in prize money and as a training partnership with Alexiou, he has trained more than 300 winners with more than $24m in prize money.

Last week, the Victoria Racing Club and Racing Victoria both said they could not make any comment on the case, given it was before the court.

Originally published as Sexual abuse allegation against top trainer Gerald Ryan headed for Victorian Supreme Court trial