Former star jockey Luke Tarrant has been remanded in custody facing three charges of armed robbery. The 31-year-old appeared before magistrates in Caloundra, Queensland, Australia, last week and was refused bail.
Tarrant, who is currently serving a 12-month disqualification from racing for a separate offence, faces three counts of robbery while armed, entering premises with intent to commit an indictable offence, and possessing dangerous drugs, according to Racenet.com. Armed robbery carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Tarrant has ridden 502 winners, including three Group race victories, with his biggest win coming in the 2015 Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic. He last rode in August.
His racing career has been marred by disciplinary issues. In 2020, he was banned for six months for headbutting another jockey in the weighing room. In October last year, he was disqualified for 12 months after refusing to give evidence to a stewards' inquiry investigating alleged falsification of health assessment forms for licensing.
The Racing Integrity Commission panel noted that Tarrant failed to respond to multiple requests to enter a plea or provide submissions, describing his conduct as 'serious because it attacks the integrity framework that safeguards participant welfare and sustains public confidence in wagering.'
