Jockey Will Gordon is set to front the Victorian Racing Tribunal after being charged over a breach of Australian racing ownership rules.
The charges stem from Gordon’s purchase of a Doubtland filly at a yearling sale in March on behalf of his partner, licensed pre-trainer Taige Weir. Gordon successfully bid on the horse, registered as the purchaser and paid $20,050 to complete the transaction.
Weir, daughter of disqualified Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir, lacked the funds to finalise the purchase at the time, prompting Gordon to cover the cost.
Under AR 116, jockeys are prohibited from owning, leasing, or holding any interest in either a named or unnamed racehorse.
Gordon was charged with having an interest in a horse and, alternatively, an interest in a horse transaction. He entered an early guilty plea to the second charge.
Barrister Damian Sheales, acting for Gordon, lodged a “no case to answer” application in relation to the first charge, arguing that Gordon acted only as an agent for Weir and never personally held an interest in the filly.
It is alleged Gordon’s involvement extended from March 4 to March 25, with the tribunal hearing that his role was limited to arranging and paying for the purchase.
“We are of the view that those are factors that constitute the basis of an unanswerable Charge,” the VRT stated in its ruling.
“They could be summarised as being those involving Mr Gordon registering as a prospective purchaser, making the successful bid at the auction and paying for the horse.
“Of course, we are assessing such factors in the context of a ‘no case to answer’ dispute. The situation in relation to a full contest, with the stewards bearing the burden of proof, could well be different.
“In summary, Mr Gordon does have a case to answer on Charge 1.”
A hearing date for the Victorian Racing Tribunal will be scheduled in due course.
