Lisa Cropp denies criticising industry

Lisa Cropp. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Top jockey Lisa Cropp has denied calling others in the racing industry "back- stabbing pricks", as she seeks to return from disqualification for a positive methamphetamine test.

Racing's Judicial Control Authority suspended the million-dollar jockey for nine months and ordered her to pay almost $100,000 in fines and costs, after a legal battle that went to the Supreme Court.

Now, an unauthorised biography by the New Zealand Herald's chief racing writer, Mike Dillon, traces her "erratic" behaviour at the country's race courses over the past few years.

The self-published book, Riding with the Devil, contains a handwritten letter the author alleges Cropp sent him after she lost the $700,000 Mercedes Derby at Ellerslie in 2007. The letter-writer says: " ... that stupid horse of mine let me into second, who wants to be second. Stuff the whole lot of them, the Back Stabbing Pricks. I'll show them."

Yesterday, Cropp's barrister, Tony Ryan of Cambridge, said the jockey denied writing the letter. The book's publication was held back two months, after legal threats from Cropp, but is now in bookstores.

Ryan would not say whether Cropp still intended to take legal action about its contents. He also reiterated objections to an endorsement on the cover which was identified as being from former champion jockey Lance O'Sullivan.

Ryan said Cropp continued to deny ever knowingly taking methamphetamine.

She was preparing to return to racing when her disqualification ends in March, he said.

The same season Cropp tested positive to methamphetamine at Te Rapa racecourse, she rode 197 winners, breaking O'Sullivan's season record of 193.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY