Berry faces stewards as O’Shea contact inquiry intensifies

Racing NSW stewards will hold an inquiry into interactions between jockey Tommy Berry and disqualified trainer John O’Shea via a teams meeting link on Thursday morning.

Stewards launched an investigation into O’Shea’s contact with licensees after Berry mentioned him in a post-race interview last week.

“I was a lot more positive this morning after speaking with Tom and John, and full credit to them, they didn’t want me to be that positive,” Berry said Sky Racing.

Berry was interviewed last Wednesday, and his phone records are believed to show he has talked to O’Shea since his four-month disqualification.

Investigators interviewed and looked at the phones of Tom Charlton, O’Shea’s training partner before disqualification, and stable apprentice Anna Roper last week.

It is understood O’Shea had cautioned his regular riders and staff about contacting him when he started his disqualification in March.

As a disqualified person, O’Shea isn’t allowed to interact with racing licensees and is open to his ban, which he has served almost three months of, being restart.