Amateur hour in Queensland regarding McGillivray

Matthew McGillivray Photo owner Christine Cook

Queensland stewards have confirmed Matt McGillivray will ride as fully fledged jockey at Ipswich despite being booked by trainers thinking he could still claim 1.5kg as an apprentice.

Chief steward Alan Reardon said McGillivray had always been listed to come out of his time on September 22 (Friday).

“He completed the necessary study modules this week and there is no reason to extend his apprenticeship as he has not applied,” Reardon said.

“Matt will be a jockey as of Saturday with no claim and in charge of his own future.”

Reardon said there seemed to be some confusion over a regulation which allows apprentices to claim for meetings after they have outridden their allowance.

“This is different because those riders are still apprentices. While McGillivray may have had a 1.5kg claim when booked he was never going to be able to use it because he was always going o be a fully fledged jockey on Saturday,” Reardon said.

McGillivray is currently the leading apprentice and third on the senior riders premiership with 13 metropolitan winners this season.

He has ridden 281 winners as an apprentice including 75 in the metropolitan area.

Credit: AAP

 

Opinion piece:

Amateur hour again in Queensland

Despite punters having been betting on the Ipswich meeting for almost two days the Queensland stewards having now decided to announce jockey Matthew McGillivray will ride as a senior rider without any claim on the weekend.

McGillivray is booked for six rides at the main Queensland meeting on Saturday.

Punters are the racing industry’s customers and many of them have been investing on the Ipswich meeting with the belief the young hoop would be claiming 1 ½ kilos.

Not to mention trainers and owners who have booked the highly promising young jockey as they were looking for some weight relief for their horse or a lighter weight to give their charge a better chance.

It’s a direct spit in the face of the punters as the fields have been published and for many early investors the form has been done believing McGillivray would be claiming 1  ½ kg.

Things obviously don’t move fast because as of Friday McGillivray is still listed claiming 1 ½ kgs with Racing Australia which are the fields that the large majority of punters and owners use.

Are these going to be updated?

I wonder if the stewards realize the importance of 1 ½ kgs?

Its amateur hour again in Queensland!!!

1-11.42 DAIMLER TRUCKS BRISBANE QTIS 3-Y-O COLTS & GELDINGS HANDICAP 1200 M
1 SNITZKRAFT Wood & Gesler Robbie Fradd 1 59
2 CORAL BAY Stuart Kendrick Damian Browne 8 56.5
3 NOBLE HUSSLER Liam Birchley Matthew McGillivray (a1.5) 6 56
4 WARFACE Les Kelly Ryan Plumb 3 56
5 MAHARNI Michael Nolan Jim Byrne 4 55.5
6 SPLITZ Tony Gollan Jeff Lloyd 7 54
7 TIMPERLEY Bryan Dais Emma Ljung (a3) 2 54
8 TROMMELSCHLAGEN Robert Heathcote Trevor Patel 5 54

By Richard Callander

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