A Victorian racing participant has been handed a 30-month ban after Racing Victoria stewards found she misled investigators and failed to comply with formal directions during an inquiry into the presentation of a horse at Hamilton in May.
Stewards issued three charges against Sharon De Grandi following interviews on May 29 and June 11 relating to Sports Choice, a horse trained by Rhonda Mangan.
De Grandi was found to have hindered the investigation by withholding information relevant to the stewards’ inquiries, preventing them from pursuing a potential line of questioning. She was also found to have provided false or misleading evidence during the interviews.
A third charge was issued after De Grandi failed to attend a scheduled inquiry on December 8, despite receiving a written direction on November 26 requiring her attendance at Racing Victoria headquarters.
After she did not appear, stewards proceeded in her absence and found all charges proven.
De Grandi received cumulative penalties totalling 30 months: 12 months for hindering stewards, six months for giving false or misleading evidence, and a further 12 months for failing to attend the inquiry.
The warning-off period takes immediate effect and runs until June 8, 2028, pending any appeal.
