James McDonald charged

hash · November 2016

Godolphin announce replacement rider for James McDonald... I cant open the link though (site barred at work) anyone able to do a search and post it

hash · November 2016

https://www.justhorseracing.com.au/news/australian-racing/godolphin-announce-replacement-rider-for-james-mcdonald/358375

.

Gilgamesh · November 2016

James doyle.

hash · November 2016

in Australia??

therealkramer · November 2016

Yes

tony · November 2016

Not surprising that they would use one of their contracted jockeys during the UK off season.

hash · November 2016

got a feeling it'll backfire for them though, J-Mac is irreplaceable

Voodoo · November 2016

hash said:
got a feeling it'll backfire for them though, J-Mac is irreplaceable

Not too sure about that...always someone comes through... once they get on the cattle good enough, amazing how better they appear to ride.

cheers

thefalcon · November 2016

nobody is "irreplaceable", hash...nobody!!

godolphin have access to the best in the world....that idiot macdonald is just a small cog in a huge wheel.

hash · November 2016

Moreira shuts down Godolphin rumours

Hong Kong's premier jockey Joao Moreira says he has had no contact from Godolphin amid rumours linking him to the top job in Australia.

With James McDonald's position with Godolphin in limbo due to an alleged betting infringement, the global powerhouse has sought a temporary replacement via their British contracted rider James Doyle.However, Doyle's stay is expected to last a maximum of six months as he is likely to return home for the northern hemisphere flat racing season.Moreira's name has since been floated as a potential long term replacement for McDonald, should the New Zealander be penalised for having an interest in a bet placed on Astern in December 2015.Moreira has always been open to the idea of a stint in Australia but has told the South China Morning Post that a move down under in the near future is unlikely."There is a rumour going around that I have been offered the job at Godolphin, and it simply isn't true, I haven't had a phone call," Moreira said."Look, if they do call one day, I will listen, but there is a lot to consider and I would need to speak to my family first."I am happy to be in Hong Kong, and my plan for the time being is to stay here."I am not looking to change, and I have no reason to change and move anywhere else, given the success I am having at the moment."Moreira currently leads the Hong Kong Jockeys' Premiership, a dominant 20 winners ahead of Australia's Zac Purton..https://www.racenet.com.au/news/128961/Moreira-shuts-down-Godolphin-rumours

therealkramer · December 2016

https://www.racenet.com.au/news/129688/McDonald-disqualified-for-18-months

TheSwooper · December 2016

Should send a really strong message to all jockeys about having a punt.

When one weighs up the overall cost to the jockey in question - a serious penalty indeed. Not sure what his income is for an average year but would imagine it would take me 10 plus to earn it.

Wonder how this compares relative to the fines given to trainers etc for various offenses.

therealkramer · December 2016

And yet Damien Oliver got half as long for betting on a rival in a race. This surely gets cut in half on appeal.

tony · December 2016

I find the sentence staggering.

Jockeys get charged with not giving mounts a chance of winning and get 4 to 6 weeks.

Oliver bets against his own mount and gets 10 months.

Jmac while admittedly breaking the rules wins the race and gets 18 months.

hash · December 2016

hash · December 2016

absolute fu@king joke, bets on his own horse that wins, nothing untoward and cops 18 months

but if the reports are right then this isn't the first bet he placed

"explosive claims that the stewards phone J-Mac prior to another race to tell him they were watching him"

unsure how accurate that could be though as jockey's aren't allowed phones let alone take calls etc.

SKIDS · December 2016

Jockeys should HAVE to bet on their mounts, might see ém ride a bit different :-\"

hash · December 2016

Associates of Kiwi jockey James McDonald placed bets to win almost $1 million on Astern across some of the country's biggest races including the Golden Slipper and Golden Rose, an inquiry was told on Thursday.

McDonald received as little as NZ$4100 from well known Sydney punter Anthony Gardiner, who has been warned off all New South Wales racetracks for his failure to co-operate with stewards' investigations, after Astern's win on debut last December.

On Thursday, McDonald pleaded guilty to the charge of having an interest in a bet on the horse's win.

Gardiner netted around NZ$131,000 in winnings after Astern, backed from $4.60 into $3.50, won the race..

hash · December 2016

The inquiry was told Gardiner backed Astern to win NZ$104,000 in Golden Slipper pre-post bets two days before the colt debuted and then had multi bets set to reap NZ$314,000 contingent on the result of the world's richest two-year-old race going the way of the Godolphin colt.

Gardiner also backed Astern on the day of the Golden Slipper to win a further NZ$262,000. Astern finished 11th behind Capitalist.

Another associate of McDonald, separate to Gardiner, placed a number of pre-post bets to win NZ$26,200 on Astern in the Golden Rose two days after a barrier trial prior to the three-year-old's Run To The Rose win.

Astern went on to win his first group 1, but stewards were satisfied McDonald didn't receive any cut from the winning bet.

The stewards' investigation into McDonald, alongside the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, escalated on September 3 when they observed him acknowledging Gardiner when heading through the tunnel onto the Randwick track before the Tramway Stakes.

Stewards warned McDonald behind the barriers they were aware of the exchange before the race started.

Gardiner walked into the public betting ring and plonked NZ$10,400 at $4 on Dibayani, which ran third beaten less than a length, as McDonald stormed down the outside to win aboard Hauraki.

Chief stipe Marc van Gestel said Gardiner was seen receiving acknowledgement from several jockeys as they paraded on their mounts in the Theatre of the Horse before the Tramway Stakes, prompting stewards to track the punter's movements in the betting ring.

Stewards warned McDonald not to speak to Gardiner after his riding commenced on the day, but the pair were still in daily contact "up to two or three times a day" thereafter.

McDonald's lawyer Matthew Stirling told stewards McDonald had donated the $4100 he received from Astern's win on debut to a children's charity and has discontinued his relationship with Gardiner since being charged.

Stirling said McDonald had ignored repeated phone calls in recent weeks from Gardiner, known as "the tennis player", and had even shown up at McDonald's house where he was told to leave by the jockey's brother.

McDonald pleaded guilty to the charge of having an interest in a bet on Astern's first win, but Stirling argued McDonald's admission, remorsefulness and co-operation warranted a "two to three month" ban plus a fine.

Gardiner had still not met stewards' request to be interviewed.

Stewards were also miffed they could not forensically retrieve phone data logging communication between McDonald and an associate other than Gardiner between October 5 last year and December 6, the day after Astern's debut success.

McDonald sensationally stood himself down last month after stewards charged him with having "an interest" in a bet on star colt Astern, who he steered to victory on debut last December.

hash · December 2016

tony said:
I find the sentence staggering.

Jockeys get charged with not giving mounts a chance of winning and get 4 to 6 weeks.

Oliver bets against his own mount and gets 10 months.

Jmac while admittedly breaking the rules wins the race and gets 18 months.

the original sentence for J-Mac was 2 years!! but stewards considered McDonald’s “good character, the size of the bet, the fact this is his first offence under the rule and as a result gave him a six-month reduction

Fastmoney · December 2016

therealkramer · December 2016

I wonder if McEvoy will be in the frame for the job as Godolphin's number 1 rider? Maybe Avdulla gets a promotion? It's probably good timing for him riding 4 winners yesterday.

Fastmoney · December 2016

http://www.racingnsw.com.au/article-display.aspx?id=21508.

kermietime · December 2016

I'm only speculating, but there has to be more than meets the eye here. The only evidence seems to be that the cops and stewards can prove $4k went from Gardiner in to JMac's bank account. Where is the evidence of a bet being placed for J-Mac apart from J-Mac admitting that's what it was? A big punter placing a big bet on a spruiked Godolphin runner shouldn't raise any alarm bells. It would happen all the time. Why not tell the stewards they played a round of golf for $1k a hole and J-Mac won? Why would he admit that with $2mil p/a earnings at stake? Surely his lawyer and agent would advise to fight against the charge with such flimsy circumstantial evidence? But J-Mac seems to have accepted his guilt from day one. Why? To avoid deeper investigation and implicating others possbily?

It all comes down to Gardiner. Mate who loves a punt or someone more sinister? Is he betting for himself and how clean is his money? Again, he was warned off right away and seems to be under police investigation. That wasn't the case with Hunter giving Olly's brown paper bag to Smerdon. I know nothing, all speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised if this turned into a munce bigger story.

therealkramer · December 2016

@kermietime I thought I read they were having trouble acquiring forensic phone data apart from that retrieved around the time of the successful Astern wager. I assume sure there would have been a corresponding bank deposit to complete the smoking gun of evidence. It's little wonder J Mac pleaded guilty under those circumstances.

Unless there are other questionable deposits, which they can't definitively identify as gambling winnings, then i think we have to give J Mac the benefit of the doubt. If he wanted to be devious, he wouldn't have used txts, bank deposits or an other method that left a paper trail. I mean how hard is it to stash $5k in cash around your house? I've done it and I ain't no high flying jockey.

Whether he sits out the full 18 months or it is reduced on appeal, I wonder where to next? Does Godolphin take note of his guilty plea, his young age and forgive him? Or does he try his luck in somewhere like HK-if they will take him?

hash · December 2016

back to NZ is the obvious choice I'd say... HK don't tolerate that sort of non sense

therealkramer · December 2016

He outgrew NZ a long time ago. If Godolphin cut him loose, he'll freelance at worst.

hash · December 2016

excuse my ignorance but 18 months (max) on the sidelines restricts him from riding in NSW only, aust or anywhere in general?

therealkramer · December 2016

Anywhere. He can't just resume riding in another jurisdiction. I think the difference with Chris Munce and HK was because they imposed a jail term. Once he was paroled short of his original sentence NSW was able to reconsider his application to ride again, even though the HKJC expected NSW to observe the original term.

hash · December 2016

maybe follow in Munce's footsteps and take up training lol.. either way 18 months out is a hell of a long time for someone as successful as J-Mac

G'day Punter!

In this Discussion

Who's Online

James McDonald charged

Comments