Queensland jockeys Amy Graham and Casey Waddell have been stood down as stewards investigate videos which show them with white powder.
There are two videos, one lasting five seconds and the second lasting six.
The first video reportedly shows Graham, 28, snorting a white powder substance from a saucer while leaning over a bench.
She then stands up, smiles at the camera and waves two fingers on her right hand.
In the other video, Waddell reportedly dips her pinky finger into a container. She then rubs what also appears to be a white powder into her gums.
Waddell said she was unaware she was being filmed.
Jockey Amy Graham was allegedly filmed snorting a white powder substance from a saucer
‘The video taken of me was done in a private setting. I had no idea I was being recorded,’ she told Racenet.
Queensland chief steward Josh Adams said he and his team were aware of the videos and have stood the pair down ‘pending a clear urine sample’.
Graham last rode in Queensland at the provincials at Kilcoy on Sunday, September 7. Waddell has not ridden since August 9.
Waddell and Graham used to live together on the Gold Coast but they are no longer friends.
‘We did have a falling out, that happens when people grow apart,’ Waddell said.
Waddell wrote a submission to stewards while in Europe and will return home to face the music on September 22.
It’s been a tough few years for Graham, who took part in a late-night swim with fellow jockey Chris Caserta at Surfers Paradise in December 2021.
Caserta, 26, drowned during the swim after being caught in a rip while she struggled back to shore.
Casey Waddell said she had no idea she was being filmed at the time of the alleged incident
Amy Graham has ridden 68 winners since riding in her first race in September 2022
‘He was my biggest supporter, he was always telling me I could do it and become a jockey,’ Graham told Racing Queensland’s website in September, 2022.
A number of high-profile jockeys have been caught up in white powder controversies in the past, most notably Jamie Melham, who was exonerated after being charged by the Victorian Racing Tribunal in 2023.
The decision concluded a six-month legal dispute after a photo surfaced showing Melham, whose surname was Kah at the time, allegedly handling a white powder at a small gathering in her home.
‘It’s been the most challenging and testing year, but I’m so relieved that I can put it behind me now and focus on racing and being happy,’ Kah said following the hearing.
Both Kah and another individual, who pleaded not guilty, faced charges from stewards for conduct prejudicial to the image, interests, integrity, or welfare of racing.
The co-accused, stablehand Ruby McIntyre, admitted to covertly recording Kah and sharing the footage on a private social media account during a hearing.
In delivering the verdict, the tribunal emphasised that the brief video in question was recorded without Kah’s knowledge or consent, and she became aware of its existence only a couple of days later.
‘We are of the opinion the charge should be dismissed and that is the order which we make,’ Judge John Bowman said.
Exactly what the white powder was remains unclear.
