Cartwright faces ban after sickening reckless riding charge
22-year-old jockey Josh Cartwright has pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless riding during a race at Morphettville on Saturday.
The former Victorian apprentice was charged by stewards with intentionally making contact with other runners during the Mac – Stop Drug Driving Handicap.
Cartwright was subsequently stood down and is awaiting trial after his horse shifted out in the straight, causing interference to Go The Journey and House Of Max – which were both making their runs down the outside.
There’s more than just a wayward horse and a poor ride involved in this matter, so we have taken a look at all the variables which led to Cartwright’s five seconds of shame.
The ride
Josh Cartwright was riding $81 chance, Senior Council, which settled well-back in the pack as they approached the final turn.
Cartwright looked to his inside as he came around the home turn and looked to give his horse every chance of making a run, but in a split second his riding career took a change for the worse.
Cartwright then looked to his outside where he spotted two horses making significant headway in the straight before Senior Council abruptly shifted into the path of both runners. He first made contact with Go The Journey, ridden by Matthew Poon, which had a direct effect on House Of Wax, ridden by Jason Holder.
Holder was almost dislodged from his mount which put an end to its chances, whereas Go The Journey was able to regather its momentum to finish fifth.
The Result
The result of the race might not matter to some, but it certainly matters to us.
What would lead a jockey to cause such chaos in a race? There have been reports that Cartwright was having a bad day after numerous ‘conflicts’ in the jockey’s room, but we’re not buying into that theory.
It should be noted that Cartwright’s girlfriend, Anna Jordsjo, was aboard Murti, the $4.40 favourite at Sportsbet.com.au, which just so happened to have a big lead heading into the straight.
Why does this matter? In an age where even the most trustworthy jockeys are trying to make an extra buck, it certainly spells deeper troubles for Cartwright. Team riding is frowned upon in most racing industries, but when a jockey takes matters into his own hands on the racetrack, that’s a new level of idiocracy.
Cartwright has since refused to take calls, with his manager describing the jockey as “devastated”.
Keep in mind, Cartwright was fined for trying to steal a rival jockey’s whip at Canberra on Melbourne Cup day.
What the trainer had to say
Cartwright’s actions didn’t only affect his own and the connections of the two horses he tried to take out, but it also affected trainer of Senior Council, John Peacock.
Peacock is only a small-time trainer who wasn’t expecting a win from the $81 shot, but the actions of Cartwright made him feel sick.
“It makes me feel sick,” Peacock said.
“I didn’t know nothing about it yesterday, but I’ve heard all about it now and seen the replay.
“I can’t believe it. Why would they want to do it to me, I’m a bloody poor trainer.”
Senior Council appeared to be travelling well before shifting out, in which Cartwright made no visible attempt to straighten his mount, and according to Peacock, Cartwright took no blame for its waywardness in the straight.
“I asked Josh what happened, and he said, ‘I went to ease out behind that horse and he just took off sideways’,” Peacock said.
“He’s (Senior Council) never done that before.”
Peacock made comment on the apparent jockeys’ room drama which happened earlier in the day, according to reports.
“If I had’ve known what had happened I probably would have knocked him out,” Peacock said.
“Nah, I’m not like that.
“I was disappointed. I wasn’t angry because I didn’t know what had happened.
“I took his word for it.
“What he did is absolutely wrong. The poor horse this morning has pulled up with a sore shoulder obviously where he’s slammed into those horses on the outside.”
Excuses are being made in defense of Cartwright
In the racing community there are always going to be people come to the defense of others, which is great, but not on this occasion.
Cartwright has intentionally put the lives of others in danger and has seemingly no remorse for his actions.
In a sport where death occurs on a yearly basis in Australasia, Cartwright’s actions are indefensible, but not according to South Australian trainer Michael Hickmott.
Hickmott is claiming that stress is causing jockeys to make rash in-race decisions.
“Stress is like an epidemic among young trainers and jockeys,” Hickmott said.
“These people are under so much mental and physical pressure, it’s hard for people to understand.
“Sure, it’s easy for people to get on social media and kick Josh for what he did and while it is certainly a very serious matter, I wonder how many people stopped and thought, ‘I wonder why he did it. I wonder what pressures are going on in his life’.”
There wouldn’t be one person on social media asking why Cartwright did what he did, but Hickmott is fighting a losing battle.
Cartwright should never be allowed to ride again in he’s life. Absolute disgrace
— Josh Peacock (@Peekzii) January 14, 2017
“I honestly think that there could be a positive (for the want of a better word) to come out of this situation regarding jockey/apprentice management going forward,” Hickmott added.
Horsebetting.com.au has recently highlighted the need for mentorship for jockeys, but Cartwright doesn’t fall into this category. Sure, we might find that he has some serious underlying issues, but such a reckless act, endangering your fellow jockeys and horses, is no way to deal with it.
What could have happened?
This was a selfless act by Josh Cartwright, who clearly had no regard for his or anyone else’s safety.
Cartwright rode Senior Council akin to riding a bumper car, but this is no carnival fair and the racetrack has no place for it.
Cartwright could have easily killed fellow riders Matthew Poon and Jason Holder. It takes very little to bring a horse down at top speed, so careening into two horses is not a smart way to go about things.
If Cartwright’s actions had resulted in the death of a jockey, he would be looking at a charge as serious as attempted murder or manslaughter. That’s no joke and there’s no defense that can justify his actions.
Josh Cartwright “devastated” at being charged….please, would of been a lot more ppl devastated if a rider came down. Disgusting riding
— David Barry (@TheBazkat) January 15, 2017
Champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy weighed in on the ride of Cartwright aboard Senior Council.
“That’s as bad as I have seen for a while,” McEvoy said.
There is nothing worse than seeing a talented rider become paralyzed or killed in a horse race. It’s heartbreaking and something we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemies, so what red mist enveloped the eyes of Josh Cartwright last Saturday?
What caused Cartwright to put the lives of both human and thoroughbred at the mercy of luck? It was only luck which kept Matthew Poon and Jason Holder from staying on their mounts and for that reason, Cartwright should consider himself a lucky man.
The fallout
There are many ways this situation could go, which will more likely depend on what the stewards find in their reports.
If it’s as simple as Cartwright having a ‘brain fade’ during a race, with no ulterior motive, then he will get a lengthy stint on the sidelines, but we fear it won’t be that simple.
There are unconfirmed reports that Cartwright placed a large bet on his girlfriend’s horse, which would provide a motive for his actions. Jockey’s are human and are prone to making mistakes, which includes illegal betting activity, such as the James McDonald drama last year, but this is different.
How can any rival jockey trust that Cartwright won’t try to take them out? How can any trainer willingly put Cartwright on one of their horses, knowing that he’s a loose cannon?
Whether he’s stealing whips mid-race or intentionally trying to take out the field, Cartwright must be severely punished for his actions – we just hope the stewards come down hard on him.
Banned for life
There are many people in the racing game who are calling for Josh Cartwright to be banned for life and we see no reason to disagree.
Is being banned from riding too harsh for a jockey who could have killed his fellow riders? Not in the slightest and it purely comes down to safety and integrity.
Established jockeys should be seen as role models for any up-and-coming rider, but that image is tarnished when jockeys like Josh Cartwright commit selfless and dangerous acts.
There is no place in our game for people like Cartwright. His actions prove that he has no regard for safety.
It’s scary to think what could have happened at Morphettville on Saturday. It’s scary to think that Josh Cartwright could be allowed back in the saddle in 2017.
He clearly needs help, but he also needs to stay off our race tracks.