Racing New Zealand Updates Suspended and Injured Riders List for April Meetings

Racing New Zealand's updated suspended and injured riders bulletin, posted April 5, confirmed that 13 jockeys are currently unavailable across the jurisdiction, a number that spans short-term suspensions, long-running injury absences, and two career-disrupting disqualifications that will keep the sport's most prominent names sidelined well into spring.

The headline figure is Sam Weatherley, New Zealand's elite Class A jockey, who remains disqualified through November 9, 2026. The Racing Integrity Board's written decision, dated March 12, found Weatherley guilty of a prohibited substance charge after he returned a positive test for cocaine metabolites at a Te Rapa meeting on January 30. He was stood down almost immediately when the result was confirmed and has not ridden since. Vinnie Colgan's disqualification runs even longer, through November 16, 2026, leaving two of the most experienced riders on the roster absent for virtually the entire domestic season.

Nine jockeys sit on the injured list, five of whom have been listed as "out until further notice" since before the new year. Dean Parker has been absent since September 19, Bridget Grylls since September 27, and Sam Spratt since October 4 — each now more than six months into their respective recoveries with no return date set. Bailey Rogerson and Elle Sole have been sidelined since mid-November and late November respectively. Lisa Allpress, who went down on January 18, rounds out a group whose collective absence stretches back seven months.

The two most recently injured riders are among the most active names in the provincial game. Tegan Newman has been out since March 13, while Jasmine Fawcett, one of the most in-form senior jockeys in the country heading into autumn, has been unavailable since March 26. Both carry "out until further notice" status, giving trainers no hard target for rebooking. Kevin Kalychurun is listed separately as unavailable until further notice.

The only short-term suspension on the April 5 bulletin is Akshay Balloo, who was stood down at Riccarton on March 21 during Race 6 and is serving a ban from the close of racing on March 27 through to the conclusion of racing on April 8. That window covers multiple provincial fixtures and requires affected connections to source alternative riders — though Balloo's return date, unlike those of the injured group, is at least fixed.

The cumulative effect on early April meetings is significant. With Weatherley, Fawcett, Newman, and Colgan all unavailable, trainers entering horses at provincial venues this week are working with a measurably thinner roster of experienced riders. The injured list's "further notice" language signals that stewards and medical staff have not signed off on returns, meaning last-minute jockey changes and field-size pressure remain the operating reality for racing secretariats across the country until several of these nine names finally clear medical review.