Ashburton TC – 26 December 2008 – Race 3

hearingid: f53682f9c795dc611136ba1ed62eb3f8

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hearing_racingtype: harness-racing

startdate: 26/12/2008

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decisiondate: no date provided

hearing_title: Ashburton TC - 26 December 2008 - Race 3

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Decision and Penalty:

Following the running of race 3 an information was lodged by the Stipendiary Stewards alleging breach of rule 869 (8) in that VIEWFIELD SANDS (C Butt) interfered with JACK JACK ATTACK (Mr G O’Reilly) rounding the final bend.  The relevant rules read:

Rule 869 (4)

No horseman shall during any race do anything which interferes or is likely to interfere with his own horse and/or any other horse or its progress.

Rule 869 (8)

The Judicial Committee may in addition to any other penalty which may be imposed pursuant to Rule 1003 thereof place any horse which:

(a)           may have gained an advantage by any conduct or interference prohibited by any preceding provision of this Rule and/or

(b)           may have interfered with, or whose horseman may have interfered with, the progress or change of any other horse or horses, -

immediately after any horse from which it may have gained an advantage or whose chances or progress may have been affected thereby.

 At the outset of the hearing Mr A Butt confirmed that he was representing the connections of VIEWFIELD SANDS.  Also present was Mr C Butt the driver of VIEWFIELD SANDS and Mr G O’Reilly the driver of JACK JACK ATTACK who confirmed that he was representing the connections of that horse.

The protest was contested.

Mr Ydgren said that rounding the final bend Mr C Butt was having difficulties in steering VIEWFIELD SANDS which was hanging in and that it moved in and interfered with JACK JACK ATTACK causing that horse to break and lose considerable ground.

Mr G O’Reilly told the Committee that VIEWFIELD SANDS had moved down on to JACK JACK ATTACK and as a result JACK JACK ATTACK hit the inside wheel of VIEWFIELD SANDS and broke and lost ground.  He also said that point of contact VIEWFIELD SANDS was a half head or a head in front of JACK JACK ATTACK.  He confirmed but for the contact from VIEWFIELD SANDS his horse would have maintained its position.

Mr Renouf, Stipendiary Steward, commented on the video evidence and asked the Committee to note the relative positions of both horses just prior to JACK JACK ATTACK breaking and also the distance between those horses and the two lead horses, MISTER GNP and THE BIG MAC. He also asked the Committee to note the racing manners of VIEWFIELD SANDS and said that it was the Stipendiary Stewards view that the movement in of VIEWFIELD SANDS was the sole reason for JACK JACK ATTACK breaking and losing ground in the race.

Mr A Butt for the connections of VIEWFIELD SANDS said that the horses were racing side by said with their wheels together and that it may have been the pacing action of JACK JACK ATTACK that caused it to break.  Mr Butt also suggested that the position of VIEWFIELD SANDS and JACK JACK ATTACK was being dictated by the lead horses.

The Committee finds that VIEWFIELD SANDS was racing a half head to a head on JACK JACK ATTACK when the incident occurred and this was confirmed by Mr G O’Reilly during his evidence and by the video evidence.

It is the Committee’s view that the sole reason for JACK JACK ATTACK breaking and losing ground was due to contact made on it by VIEWFIELD SANDS which was hanging and providing a difficult drive for Mr C Butt.

The video evidence of the incident is helpful to the Committee in that it clearly shows that Mr C Butt’s horse VIEWFIELD SANDS had headed Mr G O’Reilly’s horse JACK JACK ATTACK and had hung in when been driven with the reins causing JACK JACK ATTACK, which was maintaining its line, to make contact with the sulky wheel and break.

Just prior to the incident MISTER GNP and THE BIG MAC were clear of the field and, in particular, VIEWFIELD SANDS and JACK JACK ATTACK and those two horses line was not being dictated by the two leaders.

The Committee prefers the evidence of Mr G O’Reilly which was supported by the Stipendiary Stewards submission and the video evidence.  It is the Committee’s view that the sole reason for JACK JACK ATTACK breaking and losing ground was from interference caused by VIEWFIELD SANDS and JACK JACK ATTACK had not contributed to that interference.  The Committee is, therefore, satisfied that interference occurred to JACK JACK ATTACK from VIEWFIELD SANDS and that interference was sufficient for the Committee to exercise its discretion to relegate.  JACK JACK ATTACK lost its chance in the race as a result of the interference.   Accordingly, VIEWFIELD SANDS is relegated to 10^th placing immediately behind JACK JACK ATTACK.

Bevan Coombes

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hearing_type: Old Hearing

Rules: 869.8, 869.4

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raceid: 363de09c41c02421e70134ccd40c81c3

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racecancelled: 0

race_noreport: 0

race_emailed1: 0

race_emailed2: 0

race_title: Race 3

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meetid: 2c6c21965e210611dc8766d2bbf994f8

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meetdate: 26/12/2008

meet_title: Ashburton TC - 26 December 2008

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tracklocation: ashburton-tc

meet_racingtype: harness-racing

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name: Ashburton TC