Turf wars: Inside the growing feud tearing apart Toowoomba racing

Racial abuse, dangerous riding bans and a slap are just some of the explosive claims that threaten to tear Toowoomba racing apart.

Toowoomba jockey Bradley Appo.

A growing feud between jockeys Bradley Appo and Sariah Champkin threatens to engulf the Toowoomba Turf Club community.

Veteran rider Appo and apprentice Champkin have both been suspended following a July 1 trackwork incident.

Appo has been banned for three months after Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards determined he was riding dangerously toward Champkin during track work.

According to QRIC later that day Champkin approached Appo, slapped him during an ensuing altercation and has since been fined and suspended by QRIC for 13 days.

The July incident is the latest in a growing public feud between that began in April when Champkin was found guilty by QRIC of directing a racially derogatory remark toward Appo. No criminal charges were laid.

Earlier this year QRIC finalised an inquiry into the incident and published a statement on its website.

Toowoomba jockey Bradley Appo.

In the statement QRIC said “After taking written and verbal evidence from both Jockey Bradley Appo and Apprentice Sariah Champkin, as well as further evidence from witness Apprentice Landan Sykes, Apprentice Champkin, in the presence of her Master Trainer Maddysen Sears, was issued with a charge pursuant to AR228(e) which reads:

A person must not engage in: (e) Conduct which threatens, disparages, vilifies or insults another person (“other person”) on any basis, including but not limited to, a person’s race, religion, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, special ability/disability, or sexual orientation, preference or identity, while the other person is acting in the course of his or her duties in the racing industry. The particulars of the charge being that on the morning of 14 April 2023, during trackwork at Toowoomba Turf Club Apprentice Sariah Champkin did direct a racially derogatory remark toward Jockey Bradley Appo. Apprentice Champkin was found guilty of the charge and subsequently fined the sum of $3000, furthermore under the provisions of AR283(5) Stewards ordered $1500 of that amount to be wholly suspended for a period of two (2) years from the 14 April 2023 under the proviso that Apprentice Champkin does not re-offend under this rule or any similar rule during that period.”

News Corp Racenet journalist Trenton Akers first reported the July 1 incident following news Champkin had been fined and suspended by QRIC after she slapped a senior male rider following allegations of dangerous riding during trackwork at Toowoomba.

Originally published as Senior jockey cops huge suspension for role in Toowoomba tie up stall stoush