Wyndham HRC – 1 March 2008 –

hearingid: fa32d2a44c2e9cf8b013c3d864eae299

informantnumber:

horsename:

hearing_racingtype: harness-racing

startdate: 01/03/2008

newcharge:

plea:

penaltyrequired:

decisiondate: no date provided

hearing_title: Wyndham HRC - 1 March 2008 -

charge:

facts:

appealdecision:

isappeal:

submissionsfordecision:

reasonsfordecision:

Decision:

Mr Knowles, stipendiary steward, laid an information after race 1 alleging that contrary to rule 507(2) Mr Dunn failed to fulfil his driving engagements of GLOBAL REIGN race 1, GIORGIO JACCKA race 2, EYE WITNESS race 6, FIVE STAR BLUE JEAN race 8 and LET’S SPLIT race 10. The inquiry was opened and adjourned on the day by Mr Skelt.

The hearing of the charge commenced at Gore on Saturday 15 March at Gore and was adjourned part heard on that day and also at Forbury Park on the 20^th of March to enable Mr Dunn to produce a Doctor’s certificate. The hearing was concluded at Forbury Park on 24 April when Mr Dunn produced the certificate. Mr Knowles also produced notes of interviews conducted with Mr Dunn and Mr Dalgety by Mr Kitto, Racecourse Inspector. Mr Dunn indicated he did not wish to have the assistance of a senior horseman.

I am not prepared to go behind the doctor’s certificate which states that Mr Dunn was not fit to race drive on the 1^st of March. That said, Mr Dunn’s conduct has not been that which I would expect from a professional horseman, even taking into account the fact that he is a junior driver. There have, as Mr Knowles states, been differing reasons given for Mr Dunn’s inability to drive. Mr Dunn at least has been consistent in his statements to the Committee. He has said it was a personal matter and that he would not have been able to cope with the travel and the pressures of raceday driving. Mr Dunn states he is chasing the premiership and is taking all the drives he can.

As Mr Knowles states, Mr Dunn had actively obtained these drives while competing in Australia. The connections were all inconvenienced by Mr Dunn’s declaring the day before that he was unable to drive. I accept that Mr Dunn rang the connections and told them that he was not attending the meeting. I am surprised that he failed to give any of them a reason and that he failed to communicate with the stewards. A simple statement that he was unwell would have sufficed, and he could have informed the stewards that this would be followed up with a medical certificate. His misplacing the original certificate has not helped matters. It is quite understandable in these circumstances that the stipendiary stewards are suspicious as to Mr Dunn’s motives for not attending the meeting. This is only compounded by his driving in the local trials on the day he was unfit to race drive.

I repeat I accept the doctor’s certificate, which states Mr Dunn was unfit to race drive. There is no reason for me to doubt its veracity. In these circumstances, I do not find the charge proved. I suggest very strongly that should a similar illness befall Mr Dunn, he should immediate contact the stewards informing them of the matter. This is the very least I would expect from someone who is currently giving every indication of becoming one of the country’s top horsemen.

G Hall

Chairman

sumissionsforpenalty:

reasonsforpenalty:

penalty:

hearing_type: Old Hearing

Rules: 507.2

Informant:

JockeysandTrainer:

Otherperson:

PersonPresent:

Respondent:

StipendSteward:

raceid:

race_expapproval:

racecancelled:

race_noreport:

race_emailed1:

race_emailed2:

race_title:

submittochair:

race_expappcomment:

race_km:

race_otherexp:

race_chair:

race_pm1:

race_pm2:

meetid:

meet_expapproval:

meet_noreport:

waitingforpublication:

meet_emailed1:

meet_emailed2:

meetdate: no date provided

meet_title:

meet_expappcomment:

meet_km:

meet_otherexp:

tracklocation:

meet_racingtype:

meet_chair:

meet_pm1:

meet_pm2:

name: