Jamie Kah has been banned from riding for a total of five months with the Victorian Racing Tribunal again penalising the star rider on Friday for her part in last month’s illegal Airbnb gathering at Mornington.

Last season’s record-breaking champion rider is not permitted to ride again until the last week of January next year with the VRT noting her actions in providing false evidence to stewards over who attended the gathering was worthy of an additional two-month ban. 

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

Judge Bowman said: ‘’The bottom line is we are of the opinion that a period of two months suspension should be imposed for this charge under (ARR) 232 (i) and be cumulative in its entirety from the period of three months suspension imposed by the stewards in relation to AR 232 (b), thus the total period of suspension for both will be five months.’’

In announcing the penalty, Judge Bowman noted:

‘’You have an unblemished record in respect to this or any other serious offence.

‘’You are highly successful and, in fact, won the award for riding the most metropolitan winners in the 2020-21 season.

‘’As submitted by (Kah’s barrister) Mr (Damian) Sheales, you have created a large amount of positive, widespread interest in racing.

‘’Apart from your obviously outstanding ability, the manner in which you presented yourself brought a lot of favourable attention to the sport and the industry associated with it.’’

On Wednesday, the VRT found Kah guilty under ARR 232 (i) of providing stewards with false and/or misleading evidence after the tribunal found she held back information from stewards concerning jockey Mark Zahra’s attendance at the gathering.

The 25-year-old joins riders Mark 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 while Gaurday had two weeks tacked on with further suspended bans hanging over their heads for the next two years.

Fellow riders Ben Melham and Ethan Brown face a directions hearing on Friday morning into their charges of providing false and/or misleading evidence.

Racing.com