RACING Victoria stewards have adjourned an inquiry into Steven Vella’s ride on Ekibuuka in the Sportingbet Powered By William Hill Handicap at Moonee Valley after the jockey stormed from the steward’s room, reports Racing Network.
Vella pleaded not guilty to failing to ride out Ekibuuka, which finished fifth, 0.1 lengths behind fourth-placed Petrify.
After stewards found him guilty under Rule 137 (b), Vella threw his jockey’s identification pass on to the steward’s and left the inquiry.
RV deputy chairman of steward’s Rob Montgomery asked Vella to return, but he continued walking out of the track.
Montgomery then adjourned the inquiry.
During the inquiry, Vella told stewards that Ekibuuka was 2/5 lame and this coupled with a jockey on his outside calling for room he said he didn’t want to “bash the horse to the line”.
He said as the horse became tired he began to hurt.
RV vet Dr Laura Nath, at the request of Vella, was asked by stewards to inspect Ekibuuka about 30 minutes after the last race.
Dr Nath told stewards there was no abnormality and no signs of soreness and when the horses trotted up he wasn’t lame.
Vella said he wasn’t “satisfied” with Dr Nath’s decision as she didn’t check the horse’s feet.
He asked Montgomery to have Ekibuuka re-saddled, brought back into the mounting yard and he would find the horse was lame.
Montgomery said stewards would not agree to Vella’s request.
After stewards found Vella guilty he asked that they vet Ekibuuka in the morning, but Montgomery told him this also would not be happening.