Former AFL footballer Jason Love has been banned from racing after abusing trainer Tom Charlton during a heated exchange at Royal Randwick.
According to a Racing NSW steward’s report, the incident occurred on October 8 following a race on the Kensington track, where Love’s horse Sydney Bowler – trained by Charlton in partnership with John O’Shea – finished third.
Stewards found that Love approached Charlton near the Randwick tunnel for a post-race debrief but became aggressive and was found to have usied “improper, threatening and insulting language” toward the trainer.
According to stewards, Love “continued his tirade of abuse and while pointing his finger in the face of Mr Charlton stated words to the effect of, “You will be next, keep smiling.”
Stewards charged Love for conduct prejudicial to the interests of racing and imposed a six-month disqualification.
His guilty plea saw that reduced to four months, with a further one-month reduction available if he undertakes anger management and counselling with a qualified professional.
Betsy understands Love no longer has an interest in Sydney Bowler.
Love played 68 games for North Melbourne and the Sydney Swans in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
During the 2004 AFL Cairns Grand Final, Love – then coaching the North Cairns Tigers – was at the centre of a violent all-in brawl involving players, spectators, and club officials. The incident led to Love receiving an eight-year suspension.
Sydney Bowler famously burst onto the scene with three straight wins but missed more than a year after a barrier incident before the 2024 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, where he had to be sedated and withdrawn.
