Apprentice Tierney Suspended Nine Days After Careless Riding Charge at Gold Coast

Apprentice jockey S. Tierney's licence to ride in races was suspended for nine days after she was found guilty of careless riding at the Gold Coast's March 7 meeting, with the ban taking effect from midnight tonight and running through to midnight on March 23.

The stewards' finding centred on an incident in Race 2 when Tierney made insufficient effort to prevent her mount, Bold Bidder, from shifting in onto Never Say Nay near the 800-metre mark. The affected horse was severely tightened for room, checked and blundered as a result. Tierney pleaded guilty to the charge under AR131(a), the rule governing careless riding, and stewards confirmed they applied the QRIC careless riding penalty guidelines when determining the nine-day sanction.

Never Say Nay's connections faced additional scrutiny before the race even began. The horse had not raced for an extended period and was required to undergo a pre-race veterinary examination before being cleared to start. Despite the incident mid-race, a post-race veterinary examination revealed no apparent abnormalities.

The Gold Coast card produced further administrative matters beyond the Race 2 penalty. Stewards recorded adjourned inquiries from Race 7, including an incident shortly after the start and a separate matter concerning jockey D. Boutet, who left the course without permission. No penalties for those Race 7 matters were announced in the published report, with both items remaining under active review.

Among the routine welfare and integrity actions recorded in the stewards' report, Race 4 produced two notable entries: Drinkwater received a warning for racing manners, while Somewhere I Belong was stood down pending veterinary clearance after sustaining a right fore tendon injury. Queen of Aces, meanwhile, reared over in the barriers and was scratched late, with a further barrier certificate required before the horse can return to racing.

Pre-race swabs were conducted on Groove Jet, Beauty Bound, Heroic Miss, Boss Mode, Smackeroony and Run Lucy Run, while all race winners were swabbed post-race. Racing Queensland noted the stewards' report remains subject to amendment at the sole discretion of QRIC stewards, and any party seeking external review can do so through the Racing Appeals Panel.