Troubled apprentice Josh Adams has been put on notice while narrowly avoiding a suspension over his conduct at Warwick Farm last Saturday.
Adams was fined $1000 and given a dressing down from acting chief steward Greg Rudolph for falling asleep and failing to weigh out on time for a Listed race last weekend. He left the course without permission.
Rudolph said he did not want to see Adams continue on a downward spiral and waste his talent as others had before.
Last season’s champion Sydney apprentice, Adams hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in June last year when he was banned for seven months after testing positive to a banned substance.
After riding a double at Rosehill two weeks ago, Adams said he had been working hard to change his image.
“Your guilty plea to the two charges and your contrition has tipped the scale in your favour narrowly by avoiding the last month of your apprenticeship being spent on the sidelines,” Rudolph told the 20-year-old at Rosehill on Saturday.
“We’ll give you that opportunity to put your head down and show the industry that you can turn it around for the last month of your apprenticeship.
“You’re very much on the edge of a precipice at the moment and we don’t want to see you go the wrong way.
“It’s clear to us that last Saturday you were completely off the ball.”
Rudolph also questioned Adams’ professionalism and the need to have stayed at Grafton for five days during its recent carnival when he was not required for races.
Adams admitted the Grafton carnival had the exact opposite impact to what he had hoped.
“My intention was to promote myself in a good light to come out of my apprenticeship,” Adams said.
“I’ll endeavour from this point to do that.
“I don’t want to bring negative connotations to my name. I’ve got to work hard.”
Adams apologised for his Warwick Farm behaviour, saying he had been moving house and was coming down with the flu.
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