Star jockey Tommy Berry has been disqualified for more than a year by Racing NSW stewards for cash slings that punter Zaid Miller paid to his mother, and for using his mobile phone in the jockeys’ room.
Miller paid money into the bank account of Berry’s mother Julie after he backed three winners tipped to him by the jockey – Waterford, Character and Promise Of Success – which stewards found was a consideration, or colloquially “a sling”, under the rules.
Tommy Berry is facing a year away from racing after stewards found him guilty of taking a consideration from a punter.Credit:Getty
Berry pleaded not guilty to four charges relating to receiving a consideration and actions prejudicial to the image of racing but was found guilty.
Wayne Pasterfield, who represented Berry and Miller, had argued that three payments amounting to $15,000 made to Julie Berry had not been made directly to the jockey so could not be a consideration, but stewards found that Berry was aware of them.
“We are all on the same page here, we just differ in opinion of how to interpret [the payments],” Pasterfield said.
However, the evidence showed that Berry had supplied his mother’s bank details to Miller and asked his mum if the money had arrived. She replied by text: “I’m rich.”
Pasterfield pointed out: “Tommy’s mum said, ‘I’m rich’, not, ‘You’re rich’.”
Chief steward Steve Railton said in finding Berry guilty of taking a consideration that it was reasonable to think he would benefit from the payment because he owns the house where his mother and father live, and some of the money was to be used for repairs to the house.
Berry was given a disqualification totalling 11 months and two weeks for the consideration offences and for message interactions between himself and Miller that were deemed prejudicial to the image of racing after being made public on a racing gossip website.
Berry was given another four-week suspension after he pleaded guilty to having, and using, his phone in jockeys’ rooms on more than 70 occasions, which were found not to be related to racing integrity.
Berry immediately appealed the finding and asked for a stay of proceedings to allow him to continue to ride.
Miller was given a 15-month disqualification for his role in the sling offences, meaning he is not allowed to have any involvement in the sport, including betting and owning horses.
Pasterfield said Berry was a poster boy for the sport and had told Miller not to give him anything for the tips.
“Tommy had hung up on the punter the first time he suggested giving him something. Tommy Berry has gone out of his way not to accept a so-called sling. He hasn’t accepted a single thing,” Pasterfield said.
“Not even an Iced VoVo. He has copped nothing. He told Mr Miller, ‘I can’t take it, I don’t need it, I don’t want it, I don’t do it’.
“He hasn’t got anything rather than a warm fuzzy feeling that someone helped his mum.”
Miller said he had not been aware of the rules around giving jockeys money for tips until Berry had told him. He had just considered it the right thing to do.
“The whole thing is quite embarrassing,” Miller said.
Stewards said there were not many precedents for offences relating to slings but made an example of Berry.
Racing Victoria float moving Cox Plate
Racing Victoria has floated through its wholly owned media arm, Racing.com, possible changes to next year’s spring carnival under which the Cox Plate would move from October to the last week of November.
The move would extend the focus of spring racing in Victoria for another month. Victoria has long held the belief that it owned the spring, but that has changed in the past six years as Racing NSW created races like The Everest and the Golden Eagle to challenge the status quo.
This move appears another response to NSW pushing deeper into spring.
The suggested changes for 2023 are to move the Cox Plate from October 28 (a date it shares with the Golden Eagle) to November 25; move the Moir Stakes from September 29 to October 28; and move the Thousand Guineas from October 18 to November 18, and possibly the Memsie Stakes from August to November.
Any group 1 races that were moved by a month would lose their status under the rules of pattern committee, which hasn’t met in more than a year because of a stalemate and power struggle between Racing NSW and Racing Victoria.
Racing Victoria chief executive Andrew Jones is open to moving races with the focus on attracting the most revenue from punters.
Racing Victoria refused to confirm the story in a statement.
“As we do each year, we review the Spring Racing Carnival (SRC) with the Clubs and CRV to consider whether there are any enhancements to be made and if we have the right schedule to maximise engagement with the sport,” the statement said.
“Several options are currently under consideration however no decision regarding any changes to the SRC has been made at this time.”
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