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Racing: Superstar jockey Jamie Kah can’t ride until next year after being given extra ban for misleading stewards

 NCA NewsWire
The Airbnb property in Mornington where Jamie Kah and fellow jockeys held an illegal party. Andrew Henshaw
Camera IconThe Airbnb property in Mornington where Jamie Kah and fellow jockeys held an illegal party. Andrew Henshaw Credit: News Corp Australia

Racing golden girl Jamie Kah has launched an appeal at the Supreme Court of Victoria after she was found to have given false evidence in an investigation into a Covid-19 breach.

Already banned for three months after pleading guilty to attending a Mornington party with several other jockeys last month in breach of Victoria’s Covid rules, Kah was slapped with an extra two-month suspension on Friday for giving false information.

Later that day, Kah informed her social media followers she planned to front the Supreme Court.

“Today, I have appealed my conviction by the VRT and penalty imposed upon me to the Supreme Court of Victoria,” Kah posted on her social media.

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“I have done so because I answered every question asked of me by stewards truthfully and yet I have been found guilty of giving false evidence.

“My reputation, which I have earned by my conduct over my whole life as an honest person, is very important to me.

“I am going to Court to defend my reputation as to honesty. It is too important to myself as a person not to.

“I will not be making any further public comment on the matter. The Courts will decide the issues.”

Just days after winning the Scobie Breasley Medal as Victoria’s best jockey, last season’s record-breaking champion rider has been banned from riding until the last week of January next year.

It could cost Kah up to a $1m in lost earnings over the lucrative spring racing carnival.

The Victorian Racing Tribunal was not satisfied with her explanation as to why she didn’t declare certain other jockeys were present at the gathering.

Kah told stewards she did not tell them Mark Zahra attended the gathering because he was only there “briefly” for a “few beers”.

Details of Kah’s interviews with stewards were revealed in a seven-page Victorian Racing Tribunal decision, which stated her “explanation is far from convincing”.

Jamie Kah Stake Out
Camera IconThe Airbnb property in Mornington where Jamie Kah and fellow jockeys held an illegal party. Andrew Henshaw Credit: News Corp Australia

Kah did not reveal Zahra was at the property when originally quizzed by stewards, who found out about the party following a noise complaint to police.

VRT chairman Judge John Bowman said the tribunal considered the charges of attending the illegal gathering, for which she received three months, and providing false and/or misleading evidence as being separate charges that required separate sanctions.

Kah was on Wednesday found guilty of providing stewards with false and/or misleading evidence after the tribunal found she held back information from stewards concerning Zahra’s attendance at the gathering.

The 25-year-old joins Zahra and apprentice Celine Gaudray in being found guilty of the charge and having their original three-month bans extended.

Zahra had one month added and Gaudray had two weeks tacked on, with further suspended bans hanging over their heads for the next two years.

Originally published as Racing: Superstar jockey Jamie Kah can’t ride until next year after being given extra ban for misleading stewards

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