Racing: Champion New Zealand jockey Chris Johnson fails breathalyser test during race meeting at Riccarton

Chris Johnson. Photo / Paul Taylor

Champion jockey Chris Johnson could face a suspension after being stood down from riding at Riccarton yesterday for failing a breathalyser test.

Johnson is just 10 wins away from becoming New Zealand's most successful jockey for domestic wins but was tested by stewards after riding in the first race and then stood down for the remainder of the meeting.

Johnson rode Aquattack in the first race at Riccarton - at 12.05pm - leading the $12 outsider to third place before he was stood down.

The local training duo of Matthew and Michael Pitman had to turn to stand-in rider Lee Callaway, who took his first victory since December after filling in for Johnson.

Michael Pitman had no hesitation in booking Callaway once Johnson was made unavailable and was full of praise for his handling of the lightly raced eight-year-old Turncoat, who Pitman had labelled earlier in the day as a solid winning chance.

"I was interviewed earlier in the morning and I said then I thought Turncoat was our best winning chance," Pitman said.

"He was very unlucky last time when he just got beaten and, on his work, I thought he would go very close again.

"It was a no-brainer to put Lee on once Chris was unavailable as he had ridden him to win before for us."

In 2016, Johnson was given an eight-week suspension after a positive cannabis test at the Rangiora trials.

Johnson pled guilty at a hearing but claimed he did not knowingly use the drug and had no explanation for why he tested positive. Pitman said at the time that he felt it was likely that Johnson had been "spiked".

Johnson started his career in 1980, and despite taking seven years away from the sport from 1998-2005 has racked up 2441 wins in New Zealand - just 10 shy of David Walsh's record.

The 56-year-old has notched 18,818 New Zealand starts in his career which has stretched into a fifth decade, and his horses have won nearly $30 million in stakes in that timeframe.

He has had a quiet 2020/2021 season thus far, with his solitary win in 69 starts coming aboard Asathought at Wingatui in August.

- With NZ Racing Desk