Top jockey's licence withdrawn

Champion jockey Lisa Cropp yesterday had her licence withdrawn indefinitely.

NZ Thoroughbred Racing officials will say only that the extraordinary action was "on medical grounds".

Cropp yesterday flew from Auckland to New Plymouth to take five rides at the Hawera races.

On arrival she was met by the racecourse inspector, who told her she would not be riding and advised her to leave.

Auckland-based chief racecourse detective John McKenzie said he could not reveal further details.

NZTR chief executive Allan Fenwick would not comment.

Contacted by the Herald before flying back to Auckland, Cropp denied there was anything sinister in the stand-down.

"I got crook. I've been wasting too hard to ride the filly on Saturday."

Cropp had been engaged to ride 2-year-old filly Vegas Showgirl at an incredibly light 45kg in Saturday's $40,000 Gould Photographers Rotorua Stakes.

"I overdid it. I've got a guts ache."

Yesterday, NZTR's official race bureau was refusing to accept declared rides for Cropp for Sunday's Paeroa race meeting.

The 34-year-old has been in stunning form. Last month she broke the New Zealand record for numbers of wins in a season by a woman jockey, previously held by Cathy Treymane at 109.

Cropp is a long way clear in the jockeys' premiership, this week taking her total to 151.

She retired three years ago, but last year made a comeback and won on her first mount.