Amy Graham was one of two apprentices issued with bans at a disciplinary hearing after the short clip was shared into the public domain
A jockey seen snorting a white powder she believed to be cocaine in a leaked video clip has been suspended for four months. Amy Graham was one of two apprentices from Queensland, Australia, to be issued with bans as a result of the short video being shared into the public domain.
When an inquiry was launched in September, Graham, 28, claimed the film, shot during a gathering at her home in Gold Coast, was released as part of ‘a vendetta against me’. She was charged with conduct prejudicial to the image, interests, integrity or welfare of racing and giving false or misleading evidence.
A second rider, Sophie Wilcock, 29, was charged with giving false evidence and suspended for three months while the case against a third jockey Casey Waddell, also charged in relation to the same incident, has yet to be heard.
READ MORE: Top US racehorse trainer announces bid to represent Kentucky in the US SenateREAD MORE: Melbourne Cup winning-jockey gets 30 meeting ban over incident in which rival broke leg
Graham pleaded not guilty to both charges with her lawyer arguing that she had used cocaine at her private residence with friends while she was on holiday in November 2024 and, because she did not know she was being filmed or authorise its publication, she had not breached the rules.
However a Queensland Racing Integrity Panel ruled: “While the conduct occurred in a private setting, the subsequent publication of the footage identifying Ms Graham as a licensed participant has prejudiced the image and reputation of the racing industry.
“The Stewards are satisfied that Ms Graham had knowledge that the act of consuming cocaine was being filmed, and, based on the contradictory evidence provided regarding who filmed the video, are not satisfied that any genuine request was made to delete the recording.
“Although the Stewards accept that Ms Graham did not personally disseminate the footage, the fact that the conduct became public necessarily engages the integrity obligations imposed upon all licence holders.
“The false evidence provided to the Stewards was deliberate and went to the core of the inquiry’s fact-finding function. Such conduct undermines the integrity of the disciplinary process and warrants a significant penalty.”
The panel imposed a six month suspension with two month suspended for two years.
The inquiry heard that Wilcock had denied taking cocaine at the September inquiry “because she had no recollection of doing so at the time, due to the significant amount of alcohol she had consumed during the gathering at Ms Graham’s residence”.
“She stated that when she later viewed the video footage, she was shocked and immediately recognised that her earlier evidence was incorrect.”
She told the panel she had recently returned to riding after a lengthy period on the sidelines due to a delayed concussion injury sustained in 2024. Her financial circumstances were difficult, and racing was her sole source of income.