Brazilian jockey banned for punching former champion jockey Crowley

Brazilian jockey banned for punching former champion jockey Crowley
AFP

London (AFP) – Brazilian jockey Raul da Silva will serve a 21 day ban for hitting 2016 champion Jim Crowley in a rare set to in the weighing room at Goodwood races.

Crowley, who is first jockey to the powerful stable of Dubai’s Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum, and other riders had a frank discussion with Da Silva over his riding in the first race.

According to media reports Da Silva, who has ridden six winners this season, attacked Crowley from behind leaving the 32-year-old with a split lip which required stitches.

Da Silva — who finished last in the race whilst Crowley was fifth — might have escaped without a ban had he not gone to the Goodwood stewards to make a complaint himself.

The stewards then brought in Crowley and other jockeys to give their side of the story.

“An inquiry was held following a report of an altercation in the changing room between Raul da Silva and Jim Crowley following race one,” read the statement from the British Horse Racing Authority stewards.

“Da Silva, Crowley, Martin Dwyer, John Egan, Jack Mitchell, Richard Kingscote, two valets, the clerk of the scales, the changing-room doorman and the racecourse medical officer were interviewed.

“After hearing their evidence, Da Silva was suspended for 21 days for violent conduct, in that he had struck Crowley in the face causing an injury which required medical treatment.”

Though there are often disagreements between jockeys over their riding, violence is rare.

The most notorious case was when hot-tempered Irish riding great Kieren Fallon pulled Stuart Webster off his mount in 1994 at Beverley racecourse earning him a six month ban.  

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