This morning, NSW stewards stood star apprentice Ellen Hennessy down from riding at Rosehill this afternoon, as they investigate a breach of Covid rules.
The transplanted 3kg Irish rider, who had four mounts at Rosehill, is the latest jockey who has been caught by stewards breaking the rules.
She admitted she had visited a friend without a reasonable excuse.
Her DQ follows another apprentice Tom Sherry being dealt a double whammy yesterday.
He wasn’t feeling well when his master, Mark Newnham, ordered him to have a Covid test. He did so but rode track work the next day, BEFORE getting his test results.
He returned a positive but stewards deemed his actions to ride before finding out the results as breaching Covid policies and NSW Health orders. They deemed his actions prejudicial to the interests of racing.
Upon inquiry, the young hoop’s plea of guilty was accepted.
His permit to ride in races has been suspended for 4 months, which was reduced from 6 months after his solicitor, Wayne Pasterfield, aided in mounting a defence.
Trainer Newnham was found negligent also.
Stewards took into account his very good record but he was fined $18,750 none-the-less for failing to enforce a 14-day quarantine on his apprentice.
This was considered prejudicial to the image of racing.
