Clovis Metcalfe, chairman of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), has pushed back against claims of double standards after rider Anthony Thomas was exonerated in a suspected case of failing to ride out his mount on merit.

On March 18, 2023, Thomas, riding Blu Attitude in the day’s ninth and final race, rose up in the saddle as his horse gained pace on eventual winner Loose Cannon in the closing stages of the six furlongs (1,200m) affair. He finished second by three-quarters of a length.

With the incident causing uproar among racing fans, the JRC conducted an investigation and issued a statement that it had accepted Thomas’ explanation. It is understood that the former champion jockey told the committee that he had sand in his eyes, which, combined with Blu Attitude showing signs of being lame, resulted in his failure to urge his mount to a better finish over the final 50 metres.

The March 29 release from the JRC stated Thomas’ explanation was “accepted for his failure to urge his mount in the last 50 metres of the race to obtain a better placing.”

The ruling has not gone down well with some horse racing followers who point to the suspension handed to leading female rider Samantha Fletcher for failing to ride her mount Gone A Negril on merit on February 4. Gone A Negril finished seventh in the day’s seventh race.

Metcalfe, while noting the sparsity of detail in the ruling on Thomas, said a post-race medical assessment supported the jockey’s explanation that the horse was lame.

“First of all, let me say that I agreed with the public that the explanation that had been released provided insufficient information,” Metcalfe, who is also chairman of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC), told the Jamaica Observer.

“The fact of the matter is that the jockey complained that sand was in his eyes, but aside from that, the horse was lame. The horse was tested after the race based on the information provided by our vet and found to be lame.

“The reason the explanation was accepted was because the horse was lame. And this was found out on the day and confirmed by the commission’s vet. But going forward, we will ensure that such explanations are expanded so that they leave no doubt regarding the integrity and transparency of the system,” he explained.

When contacted by the Observer, Dr Sophia Ramlal, the senior JRC veterinarian on duty at the time and who prepared the report on Blu Attitude, briefly confirmed that the horse and three others were lame.

“That horse [Blu Attitude] and three other horses in that race returned from the race lame. All the horses were placed on the vet’s list for further examination,” Dr Ramlal said.

Up to press time on Thursday, Dr Ramlal did not provide further information on the condition of Blu Attitude and the other three horses. Based on the rules, the horses will not be allowed to return to the track until they are removed from the vet’s list. The Observer can confirm that Blu Attitude is listed on the race programme to compete at Caymanas Park on Sunday.

In the case against Fletcher, she was initially suspended for 25 days on March 7. But during an appeal, Fletcher said her horse was bounced by another horse shortly after leaving the starting gates, and given her multiple brushes with major injury over the years, she had been hesitant to ride Gone A Negril at full power. Upon review the disciplinary committee reduced her ban to 20 days.

One of the safety rules for jockeys is that once they have started a race and they feel something is wrong then their duty is to protect the animal. The recommendation is to pull up, dismount and allow the veterinarian on duty to examine the horse.