Wellington RC – 21 January 2006 –

hearingid: 78b84e8f84a5780c6bc7f5cb1a08b135

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hearing_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing

startdate: 21/01/2006

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hearing_title: Wellington RC - 21 January 2006 -

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Mr L. Innes, rider of WAHID in the Duxton Hotel Wellington Stakes, admitted a charge of careless riding under rule 871(1)(d).

Mr L. Innes, rider of WAHID in the Duxton Hotel Wellington Stakes, admitted a charge of careless riding under rule 871(1)(d).

The charge followed a protest where WAHID was relegated from first to third for causing interference to ABBEY DRIVE (G. L. Cooksley) which was placed third by the judge.

WAHID racing about five horse widths off the fence approaching the final 100 metres shifted inwards under a vigorous ride. WAHID first checked WILLIE RYAN (S. Seamer) and then caused significant interference to the strongly finishing ABBEY DRIVE by taking its line of running and forcing Mr Cooksley to stop riding and steady his horse for five or six strides. Mr Innes made no effort to correct his horse's racing line or offer relief to ABBEY DRIVE.

On the issue of penalty Mr McCutcheon considered Mr Innes' degree of carelessness to be at the top end of the scale and underlined the point that he never stopped riding WAHID as the interference unfolded. He noted that the race was a Group III event and that Mr Innes' actions had resulted in WAHID being relegated to third. He further advised the Committee that this was Mr Innes first charge since returning from Hong Kong where, in March and May 2005, he had been charged with careless riding. He believed a term of suspension was appropriate.

Mr Innes submitted that WAHID was a difficult horse to ride and that he had raced erratically as a two year old. More recently he had developed a tendency to lay in and had done this today even with blinkers on. Mr Innes said he was aware of Mr Seamer on his inside but did not realise Mr Cooksley was finishing inside him along the fence. He invited the Committee to take into account his good riding record, his prospective engagements at next Saturdays Wellington Cup meeting and the fact that he had already had to forfeit a substantial riding fee through the relegation of WAHID.

The Committee carefully considered the submissions put to it and also had regard under rule 1122(2) to the status of the race, the stake payable and the consequential effects of Mr Innes' breach of the rule. The race was a Group III race on Premier day with a stake of $75,000. WAHID was relegated but Mr Innes' actions extinguished the chances of two horses at a critical point in the race. Mr Innes made no effort to correct WAHID and was clearly intent on driving his horse to the line with indifferent regard to its wayward line. The Committee considered Mr Innes' carelessness to be serious and deserving of a substantial period of suspension.

In determining that period the Committee took into account and extended mitigation for Mr Innes' frank admission of the matter, his good riding record and his observations about WAHID?S racing manners. The Committee also reflected on his request to be allowed to ride at the Wellington Cup meeting but found the matters put it to be insufficiently exceptional for such a concession. The Committee also had regard to the feature racing programme over the next few weeks.

Taking all matters into account the Committee directed pursuant to rule 1122 that Mr Innes be suspended from the close of racing on Wednesday, 25 January 2006 until the close of racing on Sunday, 12 February 2006.

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hearing_type: Old Hearing

Rules: 1122.2, 871.1.d

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