Archive Decision

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Auckland RC 3 November 2015 – R 6 (instigating a protest) – Chair, Mr R Seabrook

ID: JCA12865

Applicant:
Mr G Rogerson - Trainer of SORIANO

Respondent(s):
Mr P Williams - Trainer of VAVASOUR

Information Number:
6922

Hearing Type:
Protest

Rules:
642 (1)

Code:
Thoroughbred

Meet Title:
Auckland RC - 3 November 2015

Meet Chair:
RSeabrook

Meet Committee Member 1:
AGodsalve

Race Date:
2015/11/03

Race Number:
R6

Decision:

For these reasons the committee is satisfied that SORIANO would have beaten VAVASOUR if interference had not occurred.

Accordingly the protest is upheld and the final placings shall now be;

9 CONSENSUS          1st

1 SPOKE TO CARLO  2nd

3 SORIANO              3rd

10 VAVASOUR          4th

5 THE TIDY EXPRESS  5th

The committee orders the payment of stakes and dividends accordingly.

Following the announcement of the official placings and result, Mr P Williams, trainer of VAVASOUR, indicated he wished to file an information lodging a protest against the 3rd horse SPOKE TO CARLO. In response to a question from the committee Mr Williams confirmed that he had not made any approaches to a stipendiary steward about lodging a protest before the official placings were announced. 

However, in the interests of fairness, the committee, in conjunction with the stipendiary stewards, discussed the practicalities of holding a further protest.

Subsequently, and in accordance with rule 903 (2) (b) and rule 907 (2) (a), the committee determined that this request be denied.

Facts:

Following race 6, the Sofitel luxury hotels stakes, a protest was lodged by Mr G Rogerson alleging interference to his horse, Soriano, placed fourth by the judge, by Vavasour placed second by the judge.  He said the interference occurred near the 200 metres. 

Rule 642 reads as follows:  if a placed horse or its rider causes interference within the meaning of this rule 642 to another placed horse, and the judicial committee is of the opinion that the horse so interfered with would have finished ahead of the first mentioned horse had such interference not occurred, they may place the first mentioned horse immediately after the horse interfered with.

The judge's placings were as follows:

9    CONSENSUS          1st

10  VAVASOUR            2nd

1    SPOKE TO CARLO  3rd

3    SORIANO               4th

The margins were a short head / head / half a length.

Submissions for Decision:

Mr Rogerson demonstrated the video films which he said clearly showed VAVASOUR was only half a length clear of SORIANO nearing the 200 metres when there was a clear gap for SORIANO on the rail.  He said Miss Johnson (VAVASOUR) has then come across to the rail in front of SORIANO forcing her rider Mr Parkes, to take a strong hold and lose momentum.  Mr Rogerson added that SORIANO was entitled to the run and Miss Johnson made no attempt to pull her mount off.  He concluded that he had no doubt that the interference cost SORIANO the race.

Mr Parkes said VAVASOUR was 3 horse widths out from him when he went for the run on the rail and was half a length inside the gap when he was kicked out of it by Miss Johnson.  He added he ran her down to half a length after the interference and believed he would have won the race by 2 lengths if he had not been stopped.

Mr Williams agreed interference had occurred but said he disagreed with Mr Parkes' assessment as to how far he was in the gap.

Miss Johnson conceded he had gradually moved in but said Mr Parkes had plenty of time to get up on her inside.

Mr Oatham, when asked for assessment, said the films clearly showed that VAVASOUR was 5 lengths ahead of SORIANO at the 400 metres and from that point SORIANO made ground rapidly to get up on the hind quarters of VAVASOUR before being checked.  Mr Oatham said SORIANO was entitled to the run and believed she lost approximately one length and momentum as a result.  For this reason, the protest had merit in his opinion.

Reasons for Decision:

The committee carefully considered all the evidence and reviewed the video films.It was clearly evident that SORIANO did receive a sharp check when VAVASOUR moved inwards into her line when not the required distance clear. The committee is satisfied that the result of SORIANO having to be checked caused her to lose momentum and more than the half length margin which was the distance between the 2 horses at the post. Also relevant was the fast manner in which SORIANO finished the race, making considerable ground on VAVASOUR in the run to the post.

JCA Decision Fields (raw)

Dmitry: This section contains all JCA fields migrated from the raw data.

Data from these fields should be mapped appropriately to display amongst the standard fields above; please make note of any values below that are missing in the above standard fields but should be there.

hearingid: 6275a92d659e50d5862e3930f8045b66


informantnumber: 6922


horsename: SORIANO


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge:


plea:


penaltyrequired:


decisiondate: 04/11/2015


hearing_title: Auckland RC 3 November 2015 - R 6 (instigating a protest) - Chair, Mr R Seabrook


charge:


facts:

Following race 6, the Sofitel luxury hotels stakes, a protest was lodged by Mr G Rogerson alleging interference to his horse, Soriano, placed fourth by the judge, by Vavasour placed second by the judge.  He said the interference occurred near the 200 metres. 

Rule 642 reads as follows:  if a placed horse or its rider causes interference within the meaning of this rule 642 to another placed horse, and the judicial committee is of the opinion that the horse so interfered with would have finished ahead of the first mentioned horse had such interference not occurred, they may place the first mentioned horse immediately after the horse interfered with.

The judge's placings were as follows:

9    CONSENSUS          1st

10  VAVASOUR            2nd

1    SPOKE TO CARLO  3rd

3    SORIANO               4th

The margins were a short head / head / half a length.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:

Mr Rogerson demonstrated the video films which he said clearly showed VAVASOUR was only half a length clear of SORIANO nearing the 200 metres when there was a clear gap for SORIANO on the rail.  He said Miss Johnson (VAVASOUR) has then come across to the rail in front of SORIANO forcing her rider Mr Parkes, to take a strong hold and lose momentum.  Mr Rogerson added that SORIANO was entitled to the run and Miss Johnson made no attempt to pull her mount off.  He concluded that he had no doubt that the interference cost SORIANO the race.

Mr Parkes said VAVASOUR was 3 horse widths out from him when he went for the run on the rail and was half a length inside the gap when he was kicked out of it by Miss Johnson.  He added he ran her down to half a length after the interference and believed he would have won the race by 2 lengths if he had not been stopped.

Mr Williams agreed interference had occurred but said he disagreed with Mr Parkes' assessment as to how far he was in the gap.

Miss Johnson conceded he had gradually moved in but said Mr Parkes had plenty of time to get up on her inside.

Mr Oatham, when asked for assessment, said the films clearly showed that VAVASOUR was 5 lengths ahead of SORIANO at the 400 metres and from that point SORIANO made ground rapidly to get up on the hind quarters of VAVASOUR before being checked.  Mr Oatham said SORIANO was entitled to the run and believed she lost approximately one length and momentum as a result.  For this reason, the protest had merit in his opinion.


reasonsfordecision:

The committee carefully considered all the evidence and reviewed the video films.It was clearly evident that SORIANO did receive a sharp check when VAVASOUR moved inwards into her line when not the required distance clear. The committee is satisfied that the result of SORIANO having to be checked caused her to lose momentum and more than the half length margin which was the distance between the 2 horses at the post. Also relevant was the fast manner in which SORIANO finished the race, making considerable ground on VAVASOUR in the run to the post.


Decision:

For these reasons the committee is satisfied that SORIANO would have beaten VAVASOUR if interference had not occurred.

Accordingly the protest is upheld and the final placings shall now be;

9 CONSENSUS          1st

1 SPOKE TO CARLO  2nd

3 SORIANO              3rd

10 VAVASOUR          4th

5 THE TIDY EXPRESS  5th

The committee orders the payment of stakes and dividends accordingly.

Following the announcement of the official placings and result, Mr P Williams, trainer of VAVASOUR, indicated he wished to file an information lodging a protest against the 3rd horse SPOKE TO CARLO. In response to a question from the committee Mr Williams confirmed that he had not made any approaches to a stipendiary steward about lodging a protest before the official placings were announced. 

However, in the interests of fairness, the committee, in conjunction with the stipendiary stewards, discussed the practicalities of holding a further protest.

Subsequently, and in accordance with rule 903 (2) (b) and rule 907 (2) (a), the committee determined that this request be denied.


sumissionsforpenalty:


reasonsforpenalty:


penalty:


hearing_type: Protest


Rules: 642 (1)


Informant: Mr G Rogerson - Trainer of SORIANO


JockeysandTrainer:


Otherperson:


PersonPresent: Mr J Oatham - Senior Stipendiary Steward, Mr J Parkes - Rider of SORIANO, Miss D Johnson - Rider of VAVASOUR


Respondent: Mr P Williams - Trainer of VAVASOUR


StipendSteward:


raceid: 656da6c8bd696d27a179132f3e71fab9


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R6


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 8bb6eb927c1ede6297ad02c3199a9f54


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 03/11/2015


meet_title: Auckland RC - 3 November 2015


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: auckland-rc


meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing


meet_chair: RSeabrook


meet_pm1: AGodsalve


meet_pm2: none


name: Auckland RC