Leading jockey Jamie Kah has been charged by Racing Victoria stewards following a lengthy inquiry into a race at Caulfield on August 31.
The 28-year-old rode Let’sfacethemusic to fifth in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes.
Accused of failing to push for the best result, she has now been charged with breaching rule AR129 (2) — a “serious offence” that she must now defend at a tribunal hearing.
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“A rider must take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that the rider’s horse is given full opportunity to win or to obtain the best possible place in the field,” the rule states.
Stewards allege Kah twice “failed to ride her mount with sufficient vigour” for about 75m at a time over the last 200m.
The report alleges she also had no “purpose to improve her position” between two rivals despite having “sufficient room” and no other impediments.
Let’sfacethemusic, a three-year-old trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, finished fifth out of eight starters and was beaten by 4.5 lengths, stewards noted.
Kah was twice interviewed by stewards before being charged.
She cited windy conditions and the horse’s inexperience among factors in her reluctance to take the gap stewards considered available.
Kah will face the Victorian Racing Tribunal at a later date.
The charge was laid two days after Kah’s successful outing at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
A winner in her first two races, she finished runner-up in the Group 1 Moir Stakes aboard Hayasugi.