Apprentice jockey George Rooke has had five wins taken from his career record after his failure to report three successes in Jersey resulted in some of his mounts carrying incorrect weights.
Following an independent hearing last month, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Monday that Rooke’s mounts will be disqualified in 19 of 26 races which were in question because he was either riding with the incorrect claim or was ineligible thanks to his Jersey wins.
Rooke, who is attached to Richard Hughes’ yard, has also received a seven-day suspension but no financial penalty.
His Jersey victories in July and August last year took his career tally to six – but he told the panel he was unaware he must report the winners outside Britain on his return, and they therefore remained off his record during the 26 races in question between August 14, 2019 and February 26, 2020.
A BHA spokesman said: “Mr Rooke was subject to a fair hearing in front of an independent disciplinary panel, and we accept their findings that he was in breach of the relevant rules and their decision to impose a seven-day suspension.
“It is appropriate for the panel to apply an approach consistent with the objective of the Judicial Panels Code to achieve a fair and just result with regards to the retrospective qualification of Mr Rooke to ride in certain races in what were unusual circumstances.
“There were a number of factors at play in this case. With such a significant number of horses involved, the impact on connections and on the administration of racing was considerable, but it was evident that Mr Rooke’s actions have already had a considerable effect upon him, particularly at such an early stage of his career.
“We will be considering whether there is further work needed within the training and coaching procedures for young jockeys to minimise the risk of an incident like this happening again.”
