Hall of fame jockey Jim Cassidy in crazy incident.

Top jockey who gets a another holiday for fighting fellow jockey on Boxing Day.


Champion jockey Jim Cassidy was charged and suspended for elbowing a rival rider's mount after provocation that resulted in apprentice Lester Grace also being suspended at Randwick on Boxing Day.

As the field approached the 600 metres in the Sportsyear Handicap (1400m), Grace aboard Sensualism was applying pressure to Cassidy's mount Tears In Heaven while back to the inside of Cassidy, Kathy O'Hara's ride Passionflower was gradually shifting away from the rail.

Cassidy, who gave evidence he told Grace to "get the f*** off me" pushed his elbow "into the head" of Sensualism to relieve his pressure.

"He's riding into me. He turns its head into me," Cassidy told stewards. "I've called to him and I'd had a gutful.

"He's riding me into where he's not entitled to be going.

"The rule is to look after the rider inside you."

Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy told the hearing Cassidy's actions were "certainly out of character". The jockey described his actions as "crazy" before reserving his plea.

Stewards took into account Grace's actions when suspending the Hall of Fame jockey for one calendar month.

Cassidy starts his suspension on December 30 and returns on January 30 while Grace will be out of the saddle from January 1 until January 15 after he pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge which stewards said "bordered on improper riding".

"It's a grossly careless action," Murrihy said.

When handing penalty, the meeting's acting chief steward Marc Van Gestel told Grace he "failed to extend the appropriate duty of care to fellow rider Jim Cassidy".

Jim Cassidy Outed For Improper Riding

Champion jockey Jim Cassidy has been banned from riding for one month for improper riding at Randwick on Boxing Day.

Jim Cassidy
Jim Cassidy Photo by Racing and Sports

Stewards charged Cassidy with using an elbow to push the mount of apprentice Lester Grace out of the way in a 1400m race.

Cassidy pleased guilty of improper riding after he admitted losing his cool when Grace, on Sensualism, laid in on his mount Tears In Heaven.


When asked to plead, Cassidy answered: "Crazy."

Cassidy told stewards he became fed up with Sensualism laying in on his mount.

"He was all over me and I had had a gutful," he said. "I called three or four times and then I elbowed him out.

"My priority was to look after the rider inside me (Kathy O'Hara) and he was leaning into me.

"It was out of character for me to do that. I have never done anything like that before."

Stewards agreed it was an uncharacteristic reaction from the champion jockey.

"Normally on a charge of this nature, the penalty starts at two or three months," presiding steward Marc Van Gestel said.

"We acknowledge your frustration and that is was an out-of-character reaction so the penalty is one calendar month."

Grace was also suspended for two weeks for careless riding on the Godolphin-owned Sensualism which Van Gestel said bordered on improper.

"It was close to improper and it was a futile attempt to correct an earlier mistake and it was never going to come off," he said. "It was in the high range of careless riding.

"You are riding for a high-profile stable and there is evidence of some degree of desperation but two wrongs are never going to make a right."

Cassidy's ban begins on December 30 while Grace will be out from New Year's Day.