The 31-year-old has been reported to have assaulted apprentice jockey Savannah McCann during an incident at Longreach in Queensland. The altercation occurred after the third race of Monday’s schedule, during which Townsend and McCann were in close competition. In response to the incident, Townsend’s racing license has been suspended for six months, and she has been fined $2,000 AUD (£1,000), with half of the fine suspended pending no further breaches. Despite the serious nature of the incident, Townsend’s clean record in the industry over the past 16 years was taken into consideration during the punishment.
According to the stewards’ report, Townsend has been charged with forcibly striking McCann in full public view. As a result of this altercation, McCann, who is 18 years old, underwent a concussion test and was unable to participate in the remaining races on Monday. Townsend retired after race five at Longreach and has achieved 32 career wins, with her most recent victory occurring at Toowoomba last month.
