Jockey Beau Appo’s appeal against a four-week suspension for weighing in light will feature a first with a practical demonstration of saddling a horse.
Appo’s lawyers have arranged for a demonstration of the jockey’s role and how a horse is saddled for the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal appeal on Monday.
His barrister, Jim Murdoch QC, said the demonstration would take place at Doomben racecourse before the appeal hearing adjourned to the QCAT rooms in the CBD.
“We appreciate the chance to show what we are talking about in a practical way,” Murdoch said.
“Sometimes what you are talking about can get lost in the translation but this way the presiding member can see exactly what we are talking about.”
He is also expected to raise the issue of difference in penalties for jockeys and trainers in cases of horses weighing in light.
“I find it hard to see on what basis the norm seems to be jockeys are suspended for four weeks while trainers get fined $1000,” he said.
The case has attracted attention because there have been several cases of jockeys weighing in light across Australia in recent months.
Appo was unsuccessful in an internal application into the suspension for weighing in light at Toowoomba.
He rode Pieridae who won the last race at Toowoomba on April 22 but he was outed and the horse disqualified after Appo weighed in 0.8kg under the weight the horse should have carried.
Appo claimed at the internal review he was not responsible as he had weighed out correctly.
He argued a gel pad used to make up the weight may have later come off the saddle pack but reviewer Kane Ashby dismissed the application.
