VRT to Rule On McNeil Ride by Jamie Kah

Leading jockey Jamie Kah will face the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) over her ride in last month’s Group 3 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield, according to punters.com.au. Racing Victoria stewards charged Kah with not taking “all reasonable and permissible measures” to achieve the best possible placing aboard Let'sfacethemusic, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr. The horse, which fluctuated in betting from $9 to $7.50 before starting at $8.50, finished fifth, 4.5-lengths behind Growing Empire. Stewards accused Kah of not riding with sufficient effort between the 175m and 100m and not pushing her mount hard enough in the final 75m. Kah and Price were questioned on race day, with further inquiry continuing at Sandown last Wednesday. Kah admitted she had reviewed the race several times, saying, “I saw it (gap) moving in front of me and I don’t know, I didn’t feel comfortable taking the run.” She explained further, “I don’t take runs that aren’t there and at the point in the race, I didn’t feel like there was a run there for long enough to take.” Kah also acknowledged that her confidence may have affected her performance, stating, “I don’t know if I was riding with a lot of confidence,” and added, “I just didn’t feel like [I] rode that well on Saturday.” Given that the nature of the breach is considered a serious breach under the Victorian Racing Act, the VRT will determine the case at a later date, instead of the Stewards.