Waikato RC 7 February 2015 – R 4 (request for a ruling)
ID: JCA16753
Code:
Thoroughbred
Meet Title:
Waikato RC - 7 February 2015
Meet Chair:
ADooley
Meet Committee Member 1:
AGodsalve
Race Date:
2015/02/07
Race Number:
Race 4
Decision:
Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 632 the Committee exercised their discretion and declared HVALA to be a starter.
Facts:
Following the running of Race 4, Bell Neuhauser Matthews Optometrists 1600, Mrs D Logan, Trainer, lodged an Information requesting a ruling in relation to Rule 632 to establish if HVALA was denied a fair start.
Rule 632 provides “If, in the opinion of the Judicial Committee, a horse which does not finish in the first three placing’s was prevented from taking an effective part in a race owing to the mechanical failure of starting stalls, or is denied a fair start and such occurrence materially prejudiced the chances of that horse (but not where the horse is slow away of its own accord), the Judicial Committee may declare such horse to be a non-starter.”
Submissions for Decision:
Mrs Logan submitted that HVALA had a tendency not to be the best behaved behind the gates. She said HVALA was definitely in the air when the gates opened which resulted in her sitting on her haunches. She added HVALA had cost herself a fair start for the betting public.
Mr Cossey submitted HVALA had clearly gone up in the air when the gates have opened. He said HVALA did not have a fair chance of going with the rest of the field. He added HVALA had no possibility of figuring in the finish.
Mr Cameron submitted that HVALA stood for a short time before the start. He said HVALA took a backward step and had gone up in the air once or twice then settled but cost herself by rearing when the gates opened.
Mr Moody submitted that HVALA “had a bit of a go” at the gates and then settled. He then called out watch your gates and pushed the button to start the race and simultaneously HVALA reared up in the air.
Mr Oatham submitted that Mrs Logan and Mr Cameron both said HVALA cost herself at the start and that is where the Stewards see it. He added that when the film of the start is slowed down it is clear that HVALA reared as the gates opened. He said there was clearly no malfunction of the starting stalls and HVALA had been the architect of its own demise.
Mrs Logan in summing up said that the incident was still clear in her mind. She said that the gates were opening as HVALA was in the air.
Reasons for Decision:
The Committee carefully considered the submissions presented and reviewed the video footage frame by frame. It was clear on the video footage that HVALA's starting stall did open in line with the rest of the field. There was no evidence or submissions made of any mechanical failure of HVALA’S starting stall. We established that HVALA was the last horse to be loaded into the starting stalls. HVALA was fractious in her stall and had an attendant up with her. When the starter released the field HVALA almost simultaneously reared up and lost a significant amount of ground. It is the opinion of this Committee that HVALA was slow away of her own accord and therefore not denied a fair start.
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: dbdd57cd1d343680d6c905994d8e28fc
informantnumber: A6880
horsename:
hearing_racingtype:
startdate: no date provided
newcharge:
plea:
penaltyrequired:
decisiondate: 01/02/2015
hearing_title: Waikato RC 7 February 2015 - R 4 (request for a ruling)
charge:
facts:
Following the running of Race 4, Bell Neuhauser Matthews Optometrists 1600, Mrs D Logan, Trainer, lodged an Information requesting a ruling in relation to Rule 632 to establish if HVALA was denied a fair start.
Rule 632 provides “If, in the opinion of the Judicial Committee, a horse which does not finish in the first three placing’s was prevented from taking an effective part in a race owing to the mechanical failure of starting stalls, or is denied a fair start and such occurrence materially prejudiced the chances of that horse (but not where the horse is slow away of its own accord), the Judicial Committee may declare such horse to be a non-starter.”
appealdecision:
isappeal:
submissionsfordecision:
Mrs Logan submitted that HVALA had a tendency not to be the best behaved behind the gates. She said HVALA was definitely in the air when the gates opened which resulted in her sitting on her haunches. She added HVALA had cost herself a fair start for the betting public.
Mr Cossey submitted HVALA had clearly gone up in the air when the gates have opened. He said HVALA did not have a fair chance of going with the rest of the field. He added HVALA had no possibility of figuring in the finish.
Mr Cameron submitted that HVALA stood for a short time before the start. He said HVALA took a backward step and had gone up in the air once or twice then settled but cost herself by rearing when the gates opened.
Mr Moody submitted that HVALA “had a bit of a go” at the gates and then settled. He then called out watch your gates and pushed the button to start the race and simultaneously HVALA reared up in the air.
Mr Oatham submitted that Mrs Logan and Mr Cameron both said HVALA cost herself at the start and that is where the Stewards see it. He added that when the film of the start is slowed down it is clear that HVALA reared as the gates opened. He said there was clearly no malfunction of the starting stalls and HVALA had been the architect of its own demise.
Mrs Logan in summing up said that the incident was still clear in her mind. She said that the gates were opening as HVALA was in the air.
reasonsfordecision:
The Committee carefully considered the submissions presented and reviewed the video footage frame by frame. It was clear on the video footage that HVALA's starting stall did open in line with the rest of the field. There was no evidence or submissions made of any mechanical failure of HVALA’S starting stall. We established that HVALA was the last horse to be loaded into the starting stalls. HVALA was fractious in her stall and had an attendant up with her. When the starter released the field HVALA almost simultaneously reared up and lost a significant amount of ground. It is the opinion of this Committee that HVALA was slow away of her own accord and therefore not denied a fair start.
Decision:
Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 632 the Committee exercised their discretion and declared HVALA to be a starter.
sumissionsforpenalty:
reasonsforpenalty:
penalty:
hearing_type: Request Ruling
Rules: 632
Informant:
JockeysandTrainer:
Otherperson:
PersonPresent: Mrs D Logan - Trainer of HVALA and the Informant, Mr G Cossey - Racing Manager for Sir P Vela - Owner of HVALA, Mr M Cameron - Rider of HVALA, Mr J Moody - Raceday Official/Starter
Respondent:
StipendSteward: Mr J Oatham - Senior Stipendiary Steward
raceid: 2798f9838f5c78f3e1d964db6e4a3e9f
race_expapproval:
racecancelled: 0
race_noreport: 0
race_emailed1: 0
race_emailed2: 0
race_title: Race 4
submittochair:
race_expappcomment:
race_km:
race_otherexp:
race_chair:
race_pm1:
race_pm2:
meetid: d9275b8bfe8bdae0ed78d69f57d59e99
meet_expapproval:
meet_noreport: 0
waitingforpublication: 0
meet_emailed1: 0
meet_emailed2: 0
meetdate: 07/02/2015
meet_title: Waikato RC - 7 February 2015
meet_expappcomment:
meet_km:
meet_otherexp:
tracklocation: waikato-rc
meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing
meet_chair: ADooley
meet_pm1: AGodsalve
meet_pm2: none
name: Waikato RC