Archive Decision

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Canterbury R 10 June 2016 – R 4 – Chair, Mr R McKenzie

ID: JCA15945

Applicant:
J M McLaughlin, Stipendiary Steward

Respondent(s):
C L Spittles, Licensed Jockey (Class A)

Information Number:
A6382

Hearing Type:
Hearing

New Charge:
Careless Riding

Rules:
638(1)(d)

Plea:
admitted

Code:
Thoroughbred

Meet Title:
Canterbury Racing - 10 June 2016

Meet Chair:
RMcKenzie

Meet Committee Member 1:
SChing

Race Date:
2016/06/10

Race Number:
R4

Decision:

Miss Spittles having admitted the charge, it was found proved.

Penalty:

Miss Spittles’ Jockeys (Class A) licence is suspended up to and including 23 June next – 2 riding days. The two meetings intended to be encompassed by that period are South Canterbury on 17 June next and Oamaru on 23 June next.

Facts:

Following the running of Race 4, Unichem Spitfire Square Pharmacy Rating 65, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr J M McLaughlin, against Licensed Jockey (Class A), Miss C L Spittles, alleging that Miss Spittles, as the rider of PERFECT SECRET in the race, “allowed her mount to shift inwards when not sufficiently clear of OPERA KNIGHT (T R Moseley) causing that runner to be severely restrained passing the 1200 metres”.

Miss Spittles was present at the hearing of the information and she indicated that she admitted the breach.

Rule 638 provides as follows:

(3) A Rider shall not ride a horse in a manner which the Judicial Committee considers to be:

    (d) careless.

Mr McLaughlin showed head-on and side-on video replays of the first 400-500 metres of the race, a 1600 metres event. PERFECT SECRET had drawn barrier 10 in the 10-horse field. Stipendiary Steward, Mr M R Davidson, pointed out PERFECT SECRET crossing from its wide barrier, approximately 200-300 metres after the start. On the fence and in the lead was OPERA KNIGHT (T R Moseley). He then showed that Miss Spittles had allowed her mount to shift in. Mr Moseley’s mount was racing keenly but was placed in “considerable difficulty” by Miss Spittles. She was “just barely” her own length clear when she crossed Mr Moseley, forcing him to have to severely restrain his mount.

Mr McLaughlin said that it was of concern to the Stewards that Miss Spittles had persisted for a distance of some 200 metres before eventually crossing Mr Moseley.

Miss Spittles said that there was little she could say in response. However, she did submit that Mr Moseley’s mount did not help by over racing, which made it difficult to cross him. Mr Moseley had been attempting to ease his mount to let her cross, she said.

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr McLaughlin informed the Committee that Miss Spittles had a clear record under the careless riding Rule. The level of carelessness was in the mid-range, Mr McLaughlin submitted. He submitted that a 2-days’ suspension was an appropriate penalty.

Miss Spittles had no submission to make in relation to penalty. She told the Committee that she did not seek a deferment of any suspension.

Reasons for Penalty:

In determining penalty, the Committee had regard to the starting point for penalty as suggested in the Penalty Guide – 3 days’ suspension for a South Island rider, as Miss Spittles is. We agreed with Mr McLaughlin that the degree of carelessness was mid-range and, therefore, no uplift from the starting point was required.

The mitigating factors in this case were Miss Spittles’ clear record under the Rule and her very frank admission of the breach. We considered that those mitigating factors warranted a discount of 1 day from the starting point of 3 days.

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: a4725b713287521400d770e2fc391d53


informantnumber: A6382


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge: Careless Riding


plea: admitted


penaltyrequired: 1


decisiondate: 14/06/2016


hearing_title: Canterbury R 10 June 2016 - R 4 - Chair, Mr R McKenzie


charge:


facts:

Following the running of Race 4, Unichem Spitfire Square Pharmacy Rating 65, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr J M McLaughlin, against Licensed Jockey (Class A), Miss C L Spittles, alleging that Miss Spittles, as the rider of PERFECT SECRET in the race, “allowed her mount to shift inwards when not sufficiently clear of OPERA KNIGHT (T R Moseley) causing that runner to be severely restrained passing the 1200 metres”.

Miss Spittles was present at the hearing of the information and she indicated that she admitted the breach.

Rule 638 provides as follows:

(3) A Rider shall not ride a horse in a manner which the Judicial Committee considers to be:

    (d) careless.

Mr McLaughlin showed head-on and side-on video replays of the first 400-500 metres of the race, a 1600 metres event. PERFECT SECRET had drawn barrier 10 in the 10-horse field. Stipendiary Steward, Mr M R Davidson, pointed out PERFECT SECRET crossing from its wide barrier, approximately 200-300 metres after the start. On the fence and in the lead was OPERA KNIGHT (T R Moseley). He then showed that Miss Spittles had allowed her mount to shift in. Mr Moseley’s mount was racing keenly but was placed in “considerable difficulty” by Miss Spittles. She was “just barely” her own length clear when she crossed Mr Moseley, forcing him to have to severely restrain his mount.

Mr McLaughlin said that it was of concern to the Stewards that Miss Spittles had persisted for a distance of some 200 metres before eventually crossing Mr Moseley.

Miss Spittles said that there was little she could say in response. However, she did submit that Mr Moseley’s mount did not help by over racing, which made it difficult to cross him. Mr Moseley had been attempting to ease his mount to let her cross, she said.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:


reasonsfordecision:


Decision:

Miss Spittles having admitted the charge, it was found proved.


sumissionsforpenalty:

Mr McLaughlin informed the Committee that Miss Spittles had a clear record under the careless riding Rule. The level of carelessness was in the mid-range, Mr McLaughlin submitted. He submitted that a 2-days’ suspension was an appropriate penalty.

Miss Spittles had no submission to make in relation to penalty. She told the Committee that she did not seek a deferment of any suspension.


reasonsforpenalty:

In determining penalty, the Committee had regard to the starting point for penalty as suggested in the Penalty Guide – 3 days’ suspension for a South Island rider, as Miss Spittles is. We agreed with Mr McLaughlin that the degree of carelessness was mid-range and, therefore, no uplift from the starting point was required.

The mitigating factors in this case were Miss Spittles’ clear record under the Rule and her very frank admission of the breach. We considered that those mitigating factors warranted a discount of 1 day from the starting point of 3 days.


penalty:

Miss Spittles’ Jockeys (Class A) licence is suspended up to and including 23 June next – 2 riding days. The two meetings intended to be encompassed by that period are South Canterbury on 17 June next and Oamaru on 23 June next.


hearing_type: Hearing


Rules: 638(1)(d)


Informant: J M McLaughlin, Stipendiary Steward


JockeysandTrainer: C L Spittles, Licensed Jockey (Class A)


Otherperson:


PersonPresent:


Respondent:


StipendSteward:


raceid: 68b303b29d2940288f97095b515947c9


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R4


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 69385ee4f2442c190103aa9c9c5dd297


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 10/06/2016


meet_title: Canterbury Racing - 10 June 2016


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: canterbury-racing


meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing


meet_chair: RMcKenzie


meet_pm1: SChing


meet_pm2: none


name: Canterbury Racing