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Jockey Padraig Beggy has incurred a nine month suspension for testing positive to a banned substance.

Racing NSW Stewards today continued an inquiry opened on 23 September 2014 into the findings of the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL) of a banned substance being found present in the urine sample taken from licensed jockey Padraig Beggy following riding in Kembla Grange barrier trials on 3 September 2014.

Evidence today was taken from Padraig Beggy and Mr John Keledjian, General Manager ARFL.

P Beggy pleaded guilty to a charge under AR81A(1)(a) of having provided a sample of his urine following riding in Kembla Grange barrier trials on 3 September 2014, which upon analysis was found to contain a banned substance.

After taking into account his submissions on penalty Stewards suspended P Beggy’s jockeys licence in full for a period of 9 months to commence on 19 September 2014 and to expire on 19 June 2015 on which day he may ride. Stewards ruled acting under the provisions of AR81D, the final three months of the penalty be stayed subject to P Beggy providing satisfactory evidence of having completed professional counselling, allowing him to return on 19 March 2014.

P Beggy pleaded guilty to the following further charges under AR175(g) and AR175(gg) relative to evidence he provided to the Stewards in the course of their investigation and an inquiry conducted on 23 September 2014.

AR175(gg) – Providing a false statement

On Saturday 20 September 2014 after receiving a direction from Mr Marc Van Gestel, RNSW Deputy Chairman of Stewards – Operations, to present himself to Stewards on the 21 September 2014 for the purposes of providing a sample of his urine he did state to Mr Van Gestel in a telephone conversation on 20 September 2014, that he was not in a position to comply with that direction as he had left Sydney in the knowledge such statement was false.

AR175(g) – Providing false evidence

I. During the currency of a Stewards investigation, he gave false evidence in that he provided to Mr Marc Van Gestel, Deputy Chairman of Stewards – Operations, two possible explanations for an irregularity to the banned substance reported upon analysis by the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory in a urine sample provided by him at Kembla Grange racecourse on the 3 September 2014, in the knowledge that both of those explanations were false, in that he at all times was aware of the likely source of the banned substance being detected in his swab sample.

II. During a Stewards inquiry of the 23 September 2014 convened at RNSW Offices, when questioned concerning his failure to comply with an instruction given on the 20 September 2014, by RNSW Deputy Chairman of Stewards, Mr Marc Van Gestel, to provide a urine sample to the Stewards on the 21 September 2014, he gave false evidence to the effect that he was unable to comply with the direction as he was at Mascot airport waiting to board a plane to Cairns on a flight he had booked on Friday 19 September 2014, such evidence being false as it was given in the knowledge that he had not at the relevant time booked a Cairns flight and was not a Mascot Airport.

III. Before a Stewards inquiry of the 23 September 2014 convened at RNSW Offices, he gave false evidence as to the likely source of the banned substance being detected in his swab sample provided to the Stewards at Kembla Grange racecourse on 3 September 2014 in the knowledge that the explanation was false, in that he at all times was aware of the likely source of the banned substance being detected in his urine sample.

After considering his submissions on penalty and taking into the account the principals of totality in sentencing with respect to the charges under AR175(gg) and AR175(g), Stewards suspended Padraig Beggy’s jockey’s licence in full for a further 6 months to be served cumulatively with the penalty impose under AR81A(1)(a). Consequently P Beggy’s jockey’s licence was suspended in full for a period to commence on 19 September 2014 and expire on 19 December 2015. Should P Beggy provide satisfactory evidence of completing professional counselling for his offence under AR81A(1)(a) he shall be eligible to return on 19 September 2015.

P Beggy was advised of his rights of appeal.