By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sports EditorA THREAT on the life of 2001 champion jockey Charlie Hussey forced his family to scratch two highly fancied runners on yesterday's 10-race card at Caymanas Park.
Ante post favourites QUIET GIANT and FROMRUSSIAWITHLOVE were withdrawn by the jockey's mother Ruth Hussey, owner of the two horses, after she said the security of her son could not be guaranteed following a threat by a punter prior to the opening race at 12.30 p.m. Both horses are trained by the owner's son Percy Hussey.
According to Charlie Hussey he was sitting in his car in the parking lot for officials, jockeys and trainers before the first race when a man came up pushed his head in the car and said: "Make sure you win on QUIET GIANT as your life depends on it."
Charlie Hussey was given special security considerations after the threat but Mrs Hussey said she scratched the horses because her son's safety could not be guaranteed.
"We do not take the threats lightly and we decided to scratch the horses as they could not guarantee my son's safety. I am very upset with what happened as I have a lot of investment in racing and want to see it progress," she said.
Jason McKay, managing director of McKay Security, the company which has the contract for security at the Caymanas Park confirmed that the jockey had made a report that he was threatened and an investigation followed.
"A report was made by Charlie Hussey that an unidentified person had threatened him in the official car park. When investigations were carried out the person who is alleged to have made the threat claims to have said to him (Charlie Hussey) that he should make sure he wins the race as his (the punter's) life depended on it.
"His exact quote was 'my life depends on it.' The fact that the man when contacted by phone returned to the track and had dialogue with the police, racing officials, myself and the Husseys I don't know how seriously I would have taken that threat. Usually when people threaten you they do not turn themselves into the police afterwards and explain it," McKay said following the running of the McKay Security Trophy, the eighth race on the programme.
Speaking just after the fifth race steward Desmond Riley said he had heard of a threat from the Racing Secretary but no other official complaint had been made to the stewards on duty.
"We are, however, aware that the horse was absent from the track at race time and this fact will be reported to the Jamaica Racing Commission first thing tomorrow (Thursday) morning," Riley said.
Hussey, 45, a veteran of more than 30 years experience in the saddle, had three rides on the 10-race card. He was third in the first race on the Wayne DaCosta-trained Jack de Prince, the hot 3-5 favourite. The event was won by the Anthony Nunes-trained OUTSWINGER at 2-1.
