Thomas Huet will fight a one-month improper riding ban for extending his right arm to another rider in a race at Wyong.
Despite apprentice Jess Taylor telling stewards her rival’s arm did not touch her during the benchmark race on Thursday, the panel took a different view.
At a reconvened inquiry at Rosehill on Saturday, stewards slapped Huet with the month’s suspension to start on December 28,
In a close finish, Taylor’s mount Smarty Pants won by a half head from the wayward He’s Our Toy Boy with stewards saying Huet extended his right arm in the final few metres of the race.
Both riders gave evidence there was no contact and Taylor’s master, former jockey Mark de Montfort, supported his charge.
“As a former rider you either feel something or you don’t,” de Montfort said.
“If Jess said it didn’t touch her, it didn’t touch her.”
That did not convince stewards with acting chairman Marc Van Gestel saying they believed Huet’s arm made contact with Taylor’s torso.
“I know it was an ugly ride. It wasn’t pretty to watch,” Huet said.
“But it wasn’t my intention to do anything wrong.
“I know I didn’t touch her. I’m not that type of person.”
Huet said he would lodge an appeal on Monday.
