Archive Decision

This decision has been migrated from the JCA website. Information is accurate but formatting may differ from contemporary decisions. Please contact us for any further enquiries.

Banks Peninsula TC 17 April 2017 – R 7 – Chair, Mr R McKenzie

ID: JCA14988

Applicant:
S P Renault, Stipendiary Steward

Respondent(s):
R A Payne, Licensed Open Horseman

Information Number:
A6288

Hearing Type:
Hearing

New Charge:
Excessive Use of Whip

Rules:
869(2)(a)

Plea:
admitted

Meet Title:
Banks Peninsula TC - 17 April 2017

Meet Chair:
RMcKenzie

Meet Committee Member 1:
SChing

Race Date:
2017/04/17

Race Number:
R7

Decision:

Mr Payne having admitted the breach, the charge was found proved. 

Penalty:

Mr Payne was fined the sum of $400.

Facts:

Following the running of Race 7, Lincoln Golden Oldies Mobile Pace, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S P Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Mr R A Payne, alleging that Mr Payne, as the driver of AWAYOVERNIGHT in the race, “used his whip excessively inside the final 400 metres”.

Mr Payne had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the information form indicating that the breach was admitted. Mr Renault advised the Committee that Mr Payne did not wish to be present at the hearing of the information.

Rule 869 provides as follows:

(2) No horseman shall during any race:-

    (a) use his whip in an unnecessary, excessive or improper manner.

The Use of Whip Guidelines (effective from 1 December 2016) provide:

The whip shall not be used more than 10 times in the last 400 metres of a race, otherwise this will be deemed excessive use pursuant to these Guidelines.

Mr Renault pointed out on a video replay AWAYOVERNIGHT, driven by Mr Payne racing in the one-one position as the field entered the final straight. From inside the final 400 metres, Stewards were alleging that Mr Payne activated the removable deafeners and then used his whip 18 times free of the rein in the run to the finish. Mr Payne had expressed surprise to the Stewards that the count was so high but, after viewing the video replay, he conceded that he agreed with the count of 18, Mr Renault said.

The Committee noted that AWAYOVERNIGHT finished in 2nd placing.

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Renault informed the Committee that Mr Payne has had 21 drives this season and had 51 drives in the 2016/2017 season. His record is clear as far as breaches of the rule are concerned, he said.

Mr Payne had expressed to the Stewards a preference for a fine, Mr Renault said. Mr Renault referred to the Penalty Guide starting point of a $500 fine. Whilst Mr Payne should be afforded a discount for his admission of the breach and his good record, Mr Renault submitted, it was an aggravating factor that should be taken into account that the number of strikes in this case (18) was well in excess of the permissible limit. 

Reasons for Penalty:

In determining penalty, the Committee took the starting point of a $500 fine as provided in the Penalty Guide. However, the Committee accepted Mr Renault’s submission that an uplift in that starting point was appropriate for the high number of whip strikes. We fixed the appropriate uplift at $100. Against that, mitigating factors were Mr Payne’s admission of the breach and his good driving record. The Committee was satisfied that a combination of those two factors warranted a discount from the uplifted starting point in the sum of $200.

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: 9589962142ed9f860beb76017360d4e5


informantnumber: A6288


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge: Excessive Use of Whip


plea: admitted


penaltyrequired: 1


decisiondate: 20/04/2017


hearing_title: Banks Peninsula TC 17 April 2017 - R 7 - Chair, Mr R McKenzie


charge:


facts:

Following the running of Race 7, Lincoln Golden Oldies Mobile Pace, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S P Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Mr R A Payne, alleging that Mr Payne, as the driver of AWAYOVERNIGHT in the race, “used his whip excessively inside the final 400 metres”.

Mr Payne had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the information form indicating that the breach was admitted. Mr Renault advised the Committee that Mr Payne did not wish to be present at the hearing of the information.

Rule 869 provides as follows:

(2) No horseman shall during any race:-

    (a) use his whip in an unnecessary, excessive or improper manner.

The Use of Whip Guidelines (effective from 1 December 2016) provide:

The whip shall not be used more than 10 times in the last 400 metres of a race, otherwise this will be deemed excessive use pursuant to these Guidelines.

Mr Renault pointed out on a video replay AWAYOVERNIGHT, driven by Mr Payne racing in the one-one position as the field entered the final straight. From inside the final 400 metres, Stewards were alleging that Mr Payne activated the removable deafeners and then used his whip 18 times free of the rein in the run to the finish. Mr Payne had expressed surprise to the Stewards that the count was so high but, after viewing the video replay, he conceded that he agreed with the count of 18, Mr Renault said.

The Committee noted that AWAYOVERNIGHT finished in 2nd placing.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:


reasonsfordecision:


Decision:

Mr Payne having admitted the breach, the charge was found proved. 


sumissionsforpenalty:

Mr Renault informed the Committee that Mr Payne has had 21 drives this season and had 51 drives in the 2016/2017 season. His record is clear as far as breaches of the rule are concerned, he said.

Mr Payne had expressed to the Stewards a preference for a fine, Mr Renault said. Mr Renault referred to the Penalty Guide starting point of a $500 fine. Whilst Mr Payne should be afforded a discount for his admission of the breach and his good record, Mr Renault submitted, it was an aggravating factor that should be taken into account that the number of strikes in this case (18) was well in excess of the permissible limit. 


reasonsforpenalty:

In determining penalty, the Committee took the starting point of a $500 fine as provided in the Penalty Guide. However, the Committee accepted Mr Renault’s submission that an uplift in that starting point was appropriate for the high number of whip strikes. We fixed the appropriate uplift at $100. Against that, mitigating factors were Mr Payne’s admission of the breach and his good driving record. The Committee was satisfied that a combination of those two factors warranted a discount from the uplifted starting point in the sum of $200.


penalty:

Mr Payne was fined the sum of $400.


hearing_type: Hearing


Rules: 869(2)(a)


Informant: S P Renault, Stipendiary Steward


JockeysandTrainer: R A Payne, Licensed Open Horseman


Otherperson:


PersonPresent:


Respondent:


StipendSteward:


raceid: 4c7e4a794277fc27327980607de6c692


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R7


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 360df2f6e9ceea4b1fb65264c8ee7547


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 17/04/2017


meet_title: Banks Peninsula TC - 17 April 2017


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: banks-peninsula-tc


meet_racingtype: harness-racing


meet_chair: RMcKenzie


meet_pm1: SChing


meet_pm2: none


name: Banks Peninsula TC