Otago RC 9 December 2015 – R 4 – Chair, Prof G Hall
ID: JCA13517
Code:
Thoroughbred
Meet Title:
Otago RC - 9 December 2015
Meet Chair:
GHall
Race Date:
2015/12/09
Race Number:
R 4
Decision:
The breach is found to be proved.
Penalty:
Ms Morris is suspended from riding from the end of the Winton meeting on 12 December up to and including 20 December. This is 2 South Island days.
Facts:
Mr Davidson alleged that in race 4, the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race F&M Maiden, Ms Morris was careless in that she allowed her mount LITTLE HAAST to shift out checking YOURLIPS AR MOVIN (R Cuneen) passing the 200 metres.
Submissions for Decision:
Mr Allison, Stipendiary Steward, demonstrated on the videos that the respondent near the 200 metre mark shifted out twice on the track. He said in the Stewards’ opinion the first move was within the Rules but the second was not, as she came into contact with Mr Cuneen who had to check his horse. Mr Allison described the movement by Ms Morris as quite sharp. He pointed out that Ms Spittles, who was racing on the outside of Mr Cuneen, had moved in slightly.
Mr Cuneen identified his horse on the video and stated he went to improve and was in a gap when it closed up and he had to steady his mount. He said it was for 3 or 4 strides and he had had to severely restrain his horse. At the time he believed the cause of the interference was movement from his inside and, after viewing the videos, he was still of this view. He stated there was only slight movement from his outside, the major movement was from his inside.
Ms Morris asked Mr Cuneen whether his horse was going good enough to take the gap. He replied he believed it was and said when he was half in the gap he had yelled to her, “I’m here!”. When questioned as to when this was, he said it was before Ms Morris moved, as he had anticipated her coming out.
Mr Champion, co-trainer of LITTLE HAAST, gave evidence that the horse was having her second start, was green and tended to drift about in her races. He said he was concerned at the fact that the filly had drawn barrier 1. He described the horse as “a bit of a rogue” and he had told Ms Morris prior to the race that LITTLE HAAST tended to run out when making a run. She had done this at Motukarara. He said it was not “an apprentice horse” and that was why he had engaged Ms Morris. He said LITTLE HAAST was on the wrong leg and thought she had rolled out on her own. In response to questioning from Mr Davidson, he confirmed he had told Ms Morris the horse was green and tended to run out under pressure.
Ms Spittle, the rider of INBEE, stated that she believed she had shifted in a little at the same time as Ms Morris had come out. She believed she might have contributed to the tightening that Mr Cuneen received. When questioned by the Committee, she said she might have come in as much as half a horse width.
Ms Morris emphasised that LITTLE HAAST was green and was only having her second start. She said young horses would roll around. The reason she had moved out twice was that she had had to stop riding in order to balance the horse. She did not believe she was careless; the horse had over-reacted and was still not fully balanced when she was improving forward. She was riding hands and heels and the horse had moved out under her. She said when she had moved out the second time LITTLE HAAST had gone further than she had anticipated.
Ms Morris believed Ms Spittles had “stepped in” and this had contributed to the crowding to Mr Cuneen. She said there had been contact between Mr Cuneen and the hindquarters of LITTLE HAAST. This may have exaggerated the movement of her horse. Ms Morris said Mr Cuneen’s mount was under a strong ride and was struggling to hold its spot when she came out. She acknowledged Mr Cuneen had yelled but she believed this was after the crowding, not before.
Mr Davidson summed up by stating that Mr Cuneen was entitled to his run and that while there had been slight inwards movement from Ms Spittles, the reason Mr Cuneen ran out of room was the outwards movement from Ms Morris.
Ms Morris replied she did not believe it was entirely her fault and that her riding was not careless. Mr Cuneen was not going good enough to take the gap and Ms Spittles had moved in. She emphasised she had tried to balance her horse and keep it straight. That was why she was riding hands and heels. The horse had moved a further half horse width wider on the track than she had anticipated.
Reasons for Decision:
Mr Cuneen’s evidence is very clear and is to the effect that the tightening he experienced came from his inside, and he identified this as being from Ms Morris’ mount.
Ms Morris has laid the blame on LITTLE HAAST being green and coming out further on the track than she had anticipated when making an outwards movement in the home straight. Significantly, Ms Morris makes two moves. The first is within the rules but the second has brought her into contact with Mr Cuneen. Ms Morris was aware that LITTLE HAAST was inexperienced and Mr Champion had told her prior to the race that the horse tended to drift out when under pressure in the straight.
Ms Spittle has moved in slightly as Ms Morris has shifted out. This may have contributed slightly to the crowding of Mr Cuneen but his evidence is very clear and is to the effect that the tightening he experienced came from Ms Morris. The video evidence supports this and Ms Spittle’s statement that she may have shifted in half a horse width is a generous assessment of the extent to which she has moved.
Ms Morris was shifting ground outwards on the track. She was aware LITTLE HAAST tended to drift out when under pressure in the straight. Indeed the horse appears to have over-reacted to her first move, which was quite sharp, and she has rightly endeavoured to balance and correct the horse at this time. However, she then moves wider on the track a second time, looking for a run, and LITTLE HAAST has come into contact with Mr Cuneen. This outwards movement, while not as pronounced as the first, was not gradual. Ms Morris blames the horse for moving a further half a horse width further than she anticipated. However, the knowledge that she had of LITTLE HAAST’s tendencies, reinforced by the horse’s action when she first shifted, should have alerted Ms Morris to the fact that the decision to shift wider on the track into a gap into which was rightly Mr Cuneen’s, was unwise. Ms Morris was not her length and another clear when she made this move. She came into contact with Mr Cuneen, who was forced to severely check his horse. The Committee is satisfied Ms Morris, in moving outwards in this manner, was careless.
Submissions for Penalty:
Mr Davidson produced the respondent’s record, which was clear under this rule this season. He explained Ms Morris had had time away from racing due to child-birth and had returned only relatively recently. He described her record as very good. He believed the breach was low end.
Ms Morris submitted that only a short period of suspension was appropriate.
Reasons for Penalty:
The Committee agrees with Mr Davidson that the breach is correctly described as being at the lower end of the range. The greenness of the horse is a significant factor in determining the culpability of Ms Morris and in an assessment of the gravity of the breach.
Ms Morris is an experienced jockey who rides only in the South Island. The starting point is 3 day’s suspension. There are no aggravating factors and the low-end nature of the breach and the respondent’s excellent record merit a one-day reduction in this starting point.
JCA Decision Fields (raw)
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hearingid: 4044bed6fa110ffa7ce12a4f291e7a46
informantnumber: 7758
horsename:
hearing_racingtype:
startdate: no date provided
newcharge: Careless Riding
plea: denied
penaltyrequired: 1
decisiondate: 14/12/2015
hearing_title: Otago RC 9 December 2015 - R 4 - Chair, Prof G Hall
charge:
facts:
Mr Davidson alleged that in race 4, the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race F&M Maiden, Ms Morris was careless in that she allowed her mount LITTLE HAAST to shift out checking YOURLIPS AR MOVIN (R Cuneen) passing the 200 metres.
appealdecision:
isappeal:
submissionsfordecision:
Mr Allison, Stipendiary Steward, demonstrated on the videos that the respondent near the 200 metre mark shifted out twice on the track. He said in the Stewards’ opinion the first move was within the Rules but the second was not, as she came into contact with Mr Cuneen who had to check his horse. Mr Allison described the movement by Ms Morris as quite sharp. He pointed out that Ms Spittles, who was racing on the outside of Mr Cuneen, had moved in slightly.
Mr Cuneen identified his horse on the video and stated he went to improve and was in a gap when it closed up and he had to steady his mount. He said it was for 3 or 4 strides and he had had to severely restrain his horse. At the time he believed the cause of the interference was movement from his inside and, after viewing the videos, he was still of this view. He stated there was only slight movement from his outside, the major movement was from his inside.
Ms Morris asked Mr Cuneen whether his horse was going good enough to take the gap. He replied he believed it was and said when he was half in the gap he had yelled to her, “I’m here!”. When questioned as to when this was, he said it was before Ms Morris moved, as he had anticipated her coming out.
Mr Champion, co-trainer of LITTLE HAAST, gave evidence that the horse was having her second start, was green and tended to drift about in her races. He said he was concerned at the fact that the filly had drawn barrier 1. He described the horse as “a bit of a rogue” and he had told Ms Morris prior to the race that LITTLE HAAST tended to run out when making a run. She had done this at Motukarara. He said it was not “an apprentice horse” and that was why he had engaged Ms Morris. He said LITTLE HAAST was on the wrong leg and thought she had rolled out on her own. In response to questioning from Mr Davidson, he confirmed he had told Ms Morris the horse was green and tended to run out under pressure.
Ms Spittle, the rider of INBEE, stated that she believed she had shifted in a little at the same time as Ms Morris had come out. She believed she might have contributed to the tightening that Mr Cuneen received. When questioned by the Committee, she said she might have come in as much as half a horse width.
Ms Morris emphasised that LITTLE HAAST was green and was only having her second start. She said young horses would roll around. The reason she had moved out twice was that she had had to stop riding in order to balance the horse. She did not believe she was careless; the horse had over-reacted and was still not fully balanced when she was improving forward. She was riding hands and heels and the horse had moved out under her. She said when she had moved out the second time LITTLE HAAST had gone further than she had anticipated.
Ms Morris believed Ms Spittles had “stepped in” and this had contributed to the crowding to Mr Cuneen. She said there had been contact between Mr Cuneen and the hindquarters of LITTLE HAAST. This may have exaggerated the movement of her horse. Ms Morris said Mr Cuneen’s mount was under a strong ride and was struggling to hold its spot when she came out. She acknowledged Mr Cuneen had yelled but she believed this was after the crowding, not before.
Mr Davidson summed up by stating that Mr Cuneen was entitled to his run and that while there had been slight inwards movement from Ms Spittles, the reason Mr Cuneen ran out of room was the outwards movement from Ms Morris.
Ms Morris replied she did not believe it was entirely her fault and that her riding was not careless. Mr Cuneen was not going good enough to take the gap and Ms Spittles had moved in. She emphasised she had tried to balance her horse and keep it straight. That was why she was riding hands and heels. The horse had moved a further half horse width wider on the track than she had anticipated.
reasonsfordecision:
Mr Cuneen’s evidence is very clear and is to the effect that the tightening he experienced came from his inside, and he identified this as being from Ms Morris’ mount.
Ms Morris has laid the blame on LITTLE HAAST being green and coming out further on the track than she had anticipated when making an outwards movement in the home straight. Significantly, Ms Morris makes two moves. The first is within the rules but the second has brought her into contact with Mr Cuneen. Ms Morris was aware that LITTLE HAAST was inexperienced and Mr Champion had told her prior to the race that the horse tended to drift out when under pressure in the straight.
Ms Spittle has moved in slightly as Ms Morris has shifted out. This may have contributed slightly to the crowding of Mr Cuneen but his evidence is very clear and is to the effect that the tightening he experienced came from Ms Morris. The video evidence supports this and Ms Spittle’s statement that she may have shifted in half a horse width is a generous assessment of the extent to which she has moved.
Ms Morris was shifting ground outwards on the track. She was aware LITTLE HAAST tended to drift out when under pressure in the straight. Indeed the horse appears to have over-reacted to her first move, which was quite sharp, and she has rightly endeavoured to balance and correct the horse at this time. However, she then moves wider on the track a second time, looking for a run, and LITTLE HAAST has come into contact with Mr Cuneen. This outwards movement, while not as pronounced as the first, was not gradual. Ms Morris blames the horse for moving a further half a horse width further than she anticipated. However, the knowledge that she had of LITTLE HAAST’s tendencies, reinforced by the horse’s action when she first shifted, should have alerted Ms Morris to the fact that the decision to shift wider on the track into a gap into which was rightly Mr Cuneen’s, was unwise. Ms Morris was not her length and another clear when she made this move. She came into contact with Mr Cuneen, who was forced to severely check his horse. The Committee is satisfied Ms Morris, in moving outwards in this manner, was careless.
Decision:
The breach is found to be proved.
sumissionsforpenalty:
Mr Davidson produced the respondent’s record, which was clear under this rule this season. He explained Ms Morris had had time away from racing due to child-birth and had returned only relatively recently. He described her record as very good. He believed the breach was low end.
Ms Morris submitted that only a short period of suspension was appropriate.
reasonsforpenalty:
The Committee agrees with Mr Davidson that the breach is correctly described as being at the lower end of the range. The greenness of the horse is a significant factor in determining the culpability of Ms Morris and in an assessment of the gravity of the breach.
Ms Morris is an experienced jockey who rides only in the South Island. The starting point is 3 day’s suspension. There are no aggravating factors and the low-end nature of the breach and the respondent’s excellent record merit a one-day reduction in this starting point.
penalty:
Ms Morris is suspended from riding from the end of the Winton meeting on 12 December up to and including 20 December. This is 2 South Island days.
hearing_type: Hearing
Rules: 638(1)(d)
Informant: Mr M Davidson – Stipendiary Steward
JockeysandTrainer: Ms J Morris - Licensed Jockey
Otherperson: Mr R Cuneen - Rider of YOURLIPS AR MOVIN, Mr D Champion - co-trainer of LITTLE HAAST, Ms C Spittle - Licensed Jockey and Rider of INBEE
PersonPresent:
Respondent:
StipendSteward:
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meet_title: Otago RC - 9 December 2015
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