A stablehand from Muswellbrook has been given a three month ban, suspended for a year, after posting a video on Facebook of him striking a female jockey on the bottom with his whip in a jumpout at the Hunter Valley track.
Paul Ralston posted the video of the three-horse jumpout on November 26 on his Facebook, where he “has approximately 4,800 friends, and the video had attracted significant public engagement, including 249,000 views, 5,600 likes, 82 comments, and 82 reshares.”
The report from Racing NSW General Manager of Investigations Daniel Hadley described what was publicly available on the video.
“The video depicted three (3) thoroughbred horses loaded in barriers, with Mr Ralston positioned in the widest barrier and two horses to his inside,” it reads.
“A licensed female jockey occupied the barrier directly to his inside. After the horses jumped, the female jockey began more positively and shortly after the start, Mr Ralston raised his whip in his right hand and struck the female jockey forcefully, making contact with her buttocks.”
Ralston and others involved in the incident were interviewed on December 1, and he was issued two charges on the following day of improper conduct for striking his fellow rider with force and conduct prejudicial to the image and interest of racing for posting the video on his Facebook.
Ralston pleaded not guilty to both charges, but both were sustained.
He was given a one month suspension on the first charge and a two month suspension for posting the video.
The penalty was suspended after stewards took in several factors into account, including the “objective seriousness of the conduct, including risk to himself, horses and other participants” as well as “personal relationship with female jockey and his “personal and professional circumstances”.
Hadley also stated the stewards considered the “principle of specific and general deterrence and what message is sent to the industry in respect to such conduct” and the “purpose of issuing penalties as a protective measure for the image, interests and welfare of the thoroughbred racing industry.”
The penalty was suspended for a year, conditional on Ralston not breaching any conduct-related rule.
