Racing: Cassidy banned for cannabis use

At Derby Day last Saturday Jim Cassidy won the Lexus Stakes on Maluckyday. Photo / Getty Images

Leading Sydney jockey Jim Cassidy, banned on Wednesday from riding for three months, was caught out by cannabis residues in his urine.

The 47-year-old rode Once Were Wild in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup, despite having tested positive to the banned substance after completing four rides at Warwick Farm on October 4. His Cup ride was unplaced, though the rider has previously won the big race twice, on Kiwi and on Might And Power.

Traces of cannabis showed up in a urine sample Cassidy gave stewards at that meeting, the Australian reported.

Cassidy was allowed to fulfil his riding engagements at the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup meetings - two of the biggest days on the Australian calendar - because he passed when he was re-tested last eight days ago.

At Victoria's Derby Day last Saturday he won the Lexus Stakes (2500m) on Maluckyday and the Salinger Stakes on Whitefriars.

But he was ordered back from Melbourne to appear at the hearing in Sydney on Wednesday as soon as he fulfilled his ride in the Cup.

Chief steward Ray Murrihy, flanked by colleagues Marc van Gestel and Greg Rudolph, had found the jockey - known as "Pumper" from his schoolboy rugby days in New Zealand - guilty of having tested positive to cannabis. In addition, the stewards ordered Cassidy to undertake counselling.

The stewards ruled that, should Cassidy complete the counselling to their satisfaction, they would reduce the punishment by a month.

Cassidy took a battering for his role in the Jockey Tapes scandal in 1995, when he was found guilty of providing tips to a punter who was being taped by police conducting a drugs probe. In that case, he was out of riding for 21 months.

On Wednesday, he sat by himself outside a nearby cafe before he asked stewards to have the matter heard behind closed doors.

"I'd like to have this kept private, without media," Cassidy asked chief steward Ray Murrihy, who agreed.

The stewards had charged Cassidy under Australian Racing Rule 81A of having committed an offence of providing a sample that was found to contain cannabis.

If he serves the full three months, Cassidy won't be eligible to ride again until February 3.

He has two days to lodge an appeal against the suspension.

"As Jim Cassidy has no forward bookings, the suspension starts today," Murrihy said. "While he isn't allowed to race, he remains free to do trackwork."

- NZPA