Winner of the International Jockeys’ Challenge at the inaugural two-day Saudi Cup meeting in Riyadh in February, Mike Smith has been demoted to third after one of his two winners tested positive for traces of a prohibited substance. Smith loses both purse and bonus monies.
Following a five-member stewards inquiry conducted by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia into a report received from the Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques, Smith’s mount Sun Hat was disqualified after cobalt was detected above the IFHA international accepted threshold in her post-race urine sample.
The 54-year-old rider took the second of the four-leg jockey competition aboard the Bedan Alsubaie-trained mare well in front of New Zealander Lisa Allpress who had already made history winning the opening leg and becoming the first female jockey to ride a winner in Saudi Arabia. In leg four Smith again finished well clear aboard Paris, in the colors of Sharaf Mohammed S. Al Hariri.
Following the disqualification, Swiss-born, German-based rider Sibylle Vogt was promoted to first, with Mickaelle Michel moved into second from co-third. Vogt became the second woman to ride a winner under rules in Saudi Arabia. Frenchwoman Mickaelle Michel, who was tied third with Allpress, moved to second. Allpress was then placed fourth tied with Frankie Dettori. All three were among seven female jockeys making their debuts in Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Cup meeting.
The standings were determined using a points-based system, with 15 points awarded for winning a race, down to three points for fifth place.
Revised jockeys’ challenge placings
1 Sibylle Vogt (32 points)
2 Mickaelle Michel (20)
3 Mike Smith (18)
4 Frankie Dettori and Lisa Allpress (15)
A total of 14 invited riders from around the globe competed in the challenge, held on the day before the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup. Each of the four legs in the competition were worth $400,000, with an additional $30,000 bonus to the winner making Smith’s demotion very costly.
It comes as a further blow for Smith, who was fined more than $200,000, 60 per cent of his share, for his ride aboard runner-up Midnight Bisou in the Saudi Cup. Smith was handed a nine-day ban for the ride aboard Midnight Bisou, having already picked up a two-day ban for failing to weigh in after a race on the previous day of the meeting, with both suspensions upheld following an appeal by the jockey.
As bad as Saudi was for Mike despite the great ride and run from Midnight Bisou, it was arguably worse for Luis Saez who stands to lose his share of the Saudi Cup on the heels of losing the winners share of the Kentucky Derby purse.
Past The Wire Staff
Photo: Winners of the International Jockeys’ Challenge at the inaugural two-day Saudi Cup meeting in Riyadh in February. From left: Sibylle Vogt, Mike Smith, Lisa Allpress and Mickaelle Michel.
Credit: Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia
