Racehorse TALK

Sandown jockeys fined over mobile phones

11th March 2009, 5:38 pm
By Robert Windmill

MELBOURNE, March 11 AAP - Eight jockeys were fined after Racing Victoria stewards discovered mobile phones in the jockeys' room at Sandown on Wednesday.

All eight were fined for being in possession of mobile phones including Mark Pegus who was also fined $1,000 for having a modified safety vest.

Steward Darren Triandafillou, who was in charge of Wednesday's meeting, called every jockey riding at the meeting into the stewards' room to address the issue of mobile phones in the jockeys' room.

Pegus' illegal vest was discovered after he, Michelle Payne, Craig Newitt, Steven Arnold and Roger Booth, along with apprentices Brenton Avdulla, Nicholas Hall and Nick Mehmet, all owned up to having mobile phones in their bags.

Jockeys are required to deposit their mobile phones before entering the jockeys' room at a race meeting.

Triandafillou said it was not unusual for stewards to check for contraband at race meetings.

As repeat offenders, Pegus and Payne were fined $300 for having mobile phones while Newitt, Arnold, Booth, Avdulla, Hall and Mehmet were all fined $200 each.

AAP TURF rw/gm