Racing: Chase unaffected by suspension

Lisa Cropp was yesterday suspended for five riding days but it will not affect her chase for the New Zealand record for most wins by a jockey in a season.

The Waikato horsewoman was suspended for her ride on Beggars Banquet in the opening event at the Paeroa Racing Club's meeting but the suspension is deferred until after next Sunday.

Ironically that is the last day of the 2004-05 season and means Cropp will be able to ride at Wanganui today, either Te Rapa or Otaki on Saturday and Oamaru on Sunday.

Cropp is on the verge of breaking Lance O'Sullivan's record of 193 wins, set in the 2001-02 season. She rode two winners yesterday to take her season tally to 191.

The deferment of Cropp's suspension was not made with her chase of the record in mind.

Judicial Control Authority chairman John Grant told NZPA that because acceptances for Sunday's meeting had closed, the judicial committee would have been obliged to defer the suspension.

"It has to be deferred if acceptances have closed, that's a requirement under the rules of racing," Grant said.

"There is no discretion for the judicial committee."

Grant said some people may be under the impression that a jockey could be suspended if the deadline for rider declarations had not closed.

"That's true in harness racing, but not in thoroughbred racing," he said.

"They (thoroughbred racing) changed that, probably, about two or three years ago."

The rider declaration deadline for both Saturday's and Sunday's meetings is today.

Cropp's suspension is from August 1-11 inclusive. She was ousted on a careless riding charge which stipendiary steward Alan Coles describing it as "at the top end".

Coles said Cropp dictated the line of Michael Coleman's mount, runner-up Dead Common, which led to Jim Collett's mount, Lots Of Fun, hitting the running rail "quite severely".

The incident happened in the back straight and Coles said Lots Of Fun, the favourite and who finished fifth, "would have lost four or five lengths".

In another development, Cropp will probably need to ride 195 winners to ensure she break's O'Sullivan's record.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing announced on Monday that one of Cropp's winners, Megabucks, had returned an irregularity in an urine sample taken from the horse after he won at Ellerslie on June 18.

If the irregularity is confirmed Megabucks will almost certainly be disqualified and consequently Cropp will lose a win. A date for the Megabucks hearing has yet to be set.

Cropp is currently riding under a stay of proceedings after returning a positive drugs test from a urine sample taken at a race meeting at Te Rapa on May 7. Chief racecourse inspector John McKenzie has named the drug as methamphetamine.

A hearing was originally scheduled for June 1 but has since been adjourned to August 3 at Ellerslie racecourse. Cropp's lawyer, Barry Hart, said he needed the extra to brief witnesses over scientific evidence and to prepare a full reply.

Despite her suspension, Cropp had plenty to smile about. One of her two winners is trained by herself.

That horse is Ocala who led all the way in a $5000 maiden over 1350m and is part-owned by her mother. It was the 6-year-old gelding's seventh start and he was favourite partly on the strength an encouraging fourth at his previous start.

Cropp's other winner came aboard Glory Hero, who started the favourite in race nine.

 

* The feature event on the card, the $30,000 Inter-Island Steeplechase was won by one of the Browne stable's quartet, The Storytella.

The Storytella held out the favourite, Bart, by a long neck.

Third home was Just The Man, 1 3/4 lengths further back.

The favourite, Blakes Boy, ridden by Isaac Lupton, won the $25,000 Paeroa Hurdles.

Second home, 3 1/4 lengths behind, was Waikiki Prince, with a further 7 1/2 lengths to Midnight Opal.

- NZPA