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Jockey flouted phone curfew to watch TikTok and make dinner reservations

Published

6 months ago

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Jockey flouted phone curfew to watch TikTok and make dinner reservations

Motoki Mizunuma was given an indefinite suspension while officials in Japan investigate how often he had breached strict rules which require smartphones to be locked away during racing

Mitokii Mizunuma was riding at Tokyo racecourse when he was caught using his smartphone(Getty Images)

  • By

    Jon Lees

  • Updated

A young jockey could be facing a lengthy suspension after being caught breaking Japan’s strict lockdown rules.

Before all Japan Racing Association-run fixtures, jockeys are put into isolation from 9pm the day before a meeting and denied any communication with the outside world until the races are over.




As a result riders are required to lock their smartphones away in lockers under rules that exist to protect the integrity of the sport.

Motoki Mizunuma was riding at the meetings at Tokyo and Kyoto when it was discovered that he had used his phone.

Officials found that the 21-year-old had pretended to lock his phone away when he had only stowed the case and smuggled his device into the changing room.

According to the JRA he viewed TikTok and made restaurant reservations. JRA official Tsukasa Yamagishi described Mizunuma’s behaviour as “highly malicious.”

The jockey was charged with serious misconduct and details of the case forwarded to the JRA arbitration committee. He was issued with an immediate suspension until the committee meets to consider what happened.

An investigation will take place to establish whether Mizunuma’s illegal smartphone use had been habitual or not. The jockey’s boss, trainer Kazuhiro Kato posted an apology on the stable’s social media saying, “We have done something that should never have been done.

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