Former star jockey arrested, in jail

Queensland jockey Luke Tarrant has been remanded in custody after being refused bail on a series of serious criminal charges.

Tarrant appeared before the Caloundra Magistrates Court last week, where he was charged with three counts of robbery while armed under sections 411(1) and 411(2) of the Queensland Criminal Code.

He also faces charges of entering premises with intent to commit an indictable offence and possessing dangerous drugs.

The offence of robbery carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment, with the potential for a life sentence where the offence is armed and committed in company or involves personal violence.

Represented by a duty lawyer, Tarrant was refused bail and remanded in custody, with his next court appearance scheduled for March 19.

The 31-year-old has not ridden since August last year. His career highlight came in 2015 when he won the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic aboard Le Chef.

In October last year, Tarrant was disqualified for 12 months by Queensland racing stewards after refusing to give evidence at an inquiry.

He had been directed to appear before stewards in relation to a falsified health form investigation, which resulted in penalties being imposed on several other Queensland jockeys.

In 2020, Tarrant was suspended from racing for six months after admitting to headbutting fellow jockey Larry Cassidy at the weighing scales at Doomben.

A former star apprentice, Tarrant has ridden 502 career winners, including three Group 2 victories.