A TOP jockey who claims he ‘accidentally’ took cocaine has been whacked with a massive nine-month ban – as bosses slammed his ‘gross error of judgement’.
Matthew Cameron claimed he drank someone else’s drink which had been laced with cocaine at a house party and failed a post-race drugs test a week later.
A scientist told racing authorities that in 31 years she had never come across anyone putting cocaine in another person’s drink.
Cameron, who has prize money earnings of £5.4million throughout his career, was stung with a massive ban – his second after he was convicted of indecently assaulting a man in 2021.
The jockey denied snorting cocaine but admitted he had been in the presence of the drug prior to competing at Rotorua racecourse in the north of the island, according to a New Zealand Herald report.
Cameron said: “I was aware that people were putting caps of cocaine into their drinks, and I was unlucky that someone had put one of them into the drink I was drinking, not knowing it was mine or intentionally doing it to me.
“There were a lot of drinks around and a lot of different glasses.
“I was aware afterwards that my drink had cocaine put into it after I had consumed it.”
But racing chiefs had serious doubts about Cameron’s version of events.
One expert from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research called to the hearing said in three decades she had never heard of anyone taking cocaine orally, with almost all users snorting the Class A drug.
Part of the penalty decision published by the New Zealand Integrity Board read: “The Respondent’s level of culpability is assessed as being above mid-range.
“By his own admission, he chose to attend Rotorua Races, knowing that four days earlier, he may have consumed a drink containing cocaine.
“The respondent took a calculated risk by attending the race meeting to fulfill his riding engagements.
“The respondent has not explained why he took such a risk – perhaps he hoped there would be no testing undertaken at the meeting, and/or if there was testing, the drug would have dissipated.
“The respondent had options available to him, the obvious one being that he could have stood himself down.
“Therefore, his decision to ride at the meeting was a gross error of judgement on his part.”
Cameron admitted he should not have been at a party where drugs were present.
He added: “I put myself in a situation that night which clearly was not a great decision.
“I have worked super hard to get to where I am after the last couple of years which have not been easy.
“I have not had a drop of alcohol for over two years now to rebuild myself as a person and a jockey.”
But the board determined those who had put their faith in the jockey’s comeback had been ‘let down’ and that the nine-month ban was justified.
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