Heathcote Wins Appeal - Panel Rejects Evidence Of Top Jockey

AN appeals hearing in Queensland today accepted that top trainer Robert Heathcote had never endorsed the controversial tactics adopted by leading jockey Larry Cassidy on hot favorite Fillydelphia at Eagle Farm on September 4.
Stewards had found Heathcote guilty of failing to advise a change of tactics and fined him $500 after Cassidy claimed at an inquiry that he was riding to instructions. The trainer was upset by the decision and immediately fired in an appeal.
Heathcote, who was saddling up another runner interstate on the day, pleaded not guilty and the trainer’s agent confirmed that no instructions were given to restrain the horse or to ride it at the tail of the field.
In their decision the First Level Appeal Committee, chaired by Gary Casey and including Peter Bredhauer and Des McGee, agreed that the stewards were entitled to question the tactics employed by Cassidy.
But they hastened to add: “In this instance the committee is satisfied that the jockey had acted unilaterally in restraining his mount shortly after the start and taking up a position at the tail of the field.
“We are satisfied on the whole of the evidence that those tactics were never endorsed by the trainer or his representative. The appeal is upheld.”
Heathcote was adamant that he never gave instructions to Cassidy to restrain Fillydelphia at the start. Evidence was given that: “We were going back to get in. We didn’t have any intentions of going back to last.”
In his initial evidence to stewards, Cassidy said: “We were hoping for mid-field.” Heathcote stated explicitly that he did not agree with the evidence given by the jockey that: “We were sort of thinking he might be second last to last.”
In its ruling, the Appeal Committee said: “It is accepted that text messages were forwarded by the appellant to both the jockey and the trainer’s agent by the appellant/trainer outlining his instructions and at no time were those details availed of by the stewards when given the opportunity to do so.
“Each race is dictated by pace. On this particular day they broke 60 seconds for the first 1000m and its previous start they ran the first 1000m in 66.49 seconds. Consequently a jockey is required to use his initiative given the circumstances, as the race evolves.”