Crooked Muslim jockey



He has been in trouble with the Stipes before. They suspended him for 9 months for testing positive for cocaine, for instance. Not mentioned below is that, following his second placing at Eagle Farm, Bold Glance won the $100,000 Gold Coast Stakes on March 19 when ridden by another jockey



JOCKEY Bobby El-Issa was resolute and composed as racing stewards hit him with a two-year disqualification.

Racing Queensland Limited stewards issued El-Issa with three charges emanating from his ride on runner-up Bold Glance in the $100,000 Falvelon Stakes at Eagle Farm on February 26.

El-Issa appeared resigned to the lengthy penalty but declared: "I have not broken any rules of racing. I will beat these charges on appeal."

An appeal was lodged late yesterday and a stay of proceedings granted allowing him to ride at Eagle Farm today.

The charges effectively were based on the fact El-Issa did not show his usual vigour over the final 200m when Bold Glance was challenged by the odds-on favourite Essington.

Stewards took exception to the fact El-Issa had used the whip only in a back-hand motion on three occasions in contrast to his ride at Bold Glance's previous start, when he rode aggressively in the straight to win at the Gold Coast. The charge stated El-Issa had "deliberately and consciously ridden to deprive Bold Glance of a real and legitimate chance of wining the race".

El-Issa's defence on his riding style was that "Bold Glance was trying his heart out and I chose not to punish the horse".

"The charge you face is one of the most serious, if not the most serious, a jockey can face," Racing Queensland chief steward Wade Birch told El-Issa. "It goes straight to the heart of the integrity of thoroughbred racing. And this was in a feature race at the state's premier venue. You have betrayed the trust and offended people (punters) who in effect keep it going."

One of the charges against El-Issa was that he had colluded with professional Sydney punter Stephen Fletcher to succeed with bets to win on Essington and backing Bold Glance to lose.

Fletcher's betting records in the previous three months with betting exchange Betfair showed he had bet heavily against horses ridden by El-Issa in 10 southeast Queensland races.

An inquiry into Fletcher's betting on the Bold Glance race was later adjourned to allow him until Wednesday to provide evidence of his normal betting activities.

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