Archive Decision

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Auckland RC 27 January 2018 – R 4 – Chair, Mr A Dooley

ID: JCA15669

Applicant:
Mr J Oatham - Chief Stipendiary Steward

Respondent(s):
Mr C Lammas - Rider of HARD MERCHANDISE

Other Person:
Mr A Coles - Stipendiary Steward, Mr M Williamson - Senior Stipendiary Steward, Ms S Collett - Rider of SMOKIN' OAK

Information Number:
A10042

Hearing Type:
Hearing

New Charge:
Careless Riding

Rules:
638(1)(d)

Plea:
admitted

Code:
Thoroughbred

Meet Title:
Auckland RC - 27 January 2018

Meet Chair:
ADooley

Meet Committee Member 1:
NMcCutcheon

Race Date:
2018/01/27

Race Number:
R4

Decision:

As Mr Lammas admitted the breach the Committee found the charge proved.

Penalty:

Accordingly, Mr Lammas had his license to ride in races suspended for a period to commence after racing on 3 February and conclude after racing on 23 February 2018.

Facts:

Following the running of race 4, Karaka Million 3YO Classic, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d). The Informant, Mr Oatham, alleged that near the 1500 metres Mr Lammas allowed his mount HARD MERCHANDISE to shift in when not sufficiently clear of SMOKIN' OAK which was dictated inwards crowding SAVVY COUP which clipped a heel and blundered.

Rule 638(1)(d) provides: A Rider shall not ride a horse in a manner which the Judicial Committee considers to be careless.

Mr Williamson demonstrated the incident using the available video footage. He identified that Mr Lammas permitted his mount to shift in when only 1 length clear of SMOKIN' OAK. As a result that runner was dictated inwards into the line of SAVVY COUP which clipped a heel and blundered, He said that 2 runners were impeded by Mr Lammas actions.

Mr Williamson said that in mitigation SMOKIN' OAK is a difficult horse to ride and it over raced when Mr Lammas shifted in when not the required distance clear.

Mr Lammas admitted to shifting in but he said that SMOKIN' OAK was erratic and it made the incident look worse.

Mr Lammas said he would like the Committee to here from Ms Collett regarding the racing manners of SMOKIN' OAK.

Ms Collett said that SMOKIN' OAK was an aggressive ride but said that the tightening from Mr Lammas’s mount hadn’t helped the situation.

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Oatham produced Mr Lammas’ record which showed 2 previous breaches under this Rule in the last 12 months. He said it was a relatively good record but noted that the 2 prior suspensions resulted in high end penalties. He said Mr Lammas admitted the breach and the consequences of his actions resulted in SAVVY COUP clipping a heel and blundering. He described the level of carelessness as well into the mid-range and further aggravating factors were the incident occurred in a Listed Race worth $1 million which is the joint equal richest race in the country.

Mr Lammas advised that he had engagements on 3 February and any proposed suspension could start after that date. He reiterated that Ms Collett’s mount made the incident look worse.

Reasons for Penalty:

The Committee carefully considered all the evidence and submissions presented.

The Committee accepts that SMOKIN' OAK racing manners were not ideal. However, it was evident that Mr Lammas permitted his mount to shift in when only 1 length clear. This resulted in SMOKIN' OAK being forced into the line of SAVVY COUP which clipped a heel and blundered. We deemed the level of carelessness to be in the mid to high range.

The Committee adopted 9 days as the starting point.

The Committee had regard for Rule 920 (2) when fixing penalty.
RULE 920 (2):
(a) the status of the Race;
(b) the stake payable in respect of the Race;
(c) any consequential effects upon any person or horse as a result of the breach of the Rule;
and/or
(d) the need to maintain integrity and public confidence in racing.

The aggravating factors were the incident occurred in a Listed Race with $1 million stakes payable and as a consequence of Mr Lammas’ actions SAVVY COUP received a significant check. We note that SAVVY COUP recovered well to the finish the race off strongly. The connections of SAVVY COUP would have every right to feel aggrieved at receiving interference 100 metres after the start. For these combined factors an uplift in penalty was applied.

The mitigating factors were Mr Lammas’ admission of the breach and his good record. For these combined factors we afforded Mr Lammas a 1 day reduction in penalty.

After taking into account all the above factors the Committee considered that an appropriate suspension was 13 national riding 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: c20a1360705be2f793924268f47601ad


informantnumber: A10042


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge: Careless Riding


plea: admitted


penaltyrequired: 1


decisiondate: 29/01/2018


hearing_title: Auckland RC 27 January 2018 - R 4 - Chair, Mr A Dooley


charge:


facts:

Following the running of race 4, Karaka Million 3YO Classic, an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d). The Informant, Mr Oatham, alleged that near the 1500 metres Mr Lammas allowed his mount HARD MERCHANDISE to shift in when not sufficiently clear of SMOKIN' OAK which was dictated inwards crowding SAVVY COUP which clipped a heel and blundered.

Rule 638(1)(d) provides: A Rider shall not ride a horse in a manner which the Judicial Committee considers to be careless.

Mr Williamson demonstrated the incident using the available video footage. He identified that Mr Lammas permitted his mount to shift in when only 1 length clear of SMOKIN' OAK. As a result that runner was dictated inwards into the line of SAVVY COUP which clipped a heel and blundered, He said that 2 runners were impeded by Mr Lammas actions.

Mr Williamson said that in mitigation SMOKIN' OAK is a difficult horse to ride and it over raced when Mr Lammas shifted in when not the required distance clear.

Mr Lammas admitted to shifting in but he said that SMOKIN' OAK was erratic and it made the incident look worse.

Mr Lammas said he would like the Committee to here from Ms Collett regarding the racing manners of SMOKIN' OAK.

Ms Collett said that SMOKIN' OAK was an aggressive ride but said that the tightening from Mr Lammas’s mount hadn’t helped the situation.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:


reasonsfordecision:


Decision:

As Mr Lammas admitted the breach the Committee found the charge proved.


sumissionsforpenalty:

Mr Oatham produced Mr Lammas’ record which showed 2 previous breaches under this Rule in the last 12 months. He said it was a relatively good record but noted that the 2 prior suspensions resulted in high end penalties. He said Mr Lammas admitted the breach and the consequences of his actions resulted in SAVVY COUP clipping a heel and blundering. He described the level of carelessness as well into the mid-range and further aggravating factors were the incident occurred in a Listed Race worth $1 million which is the joint equal richest race in the country.

Mr Lammas advised that he had engagements on 3 February and any proposed suspension could start after that date. He reiterated that Ms Collett’s mount made the incident look worse.


reasonsforpenalty:

The Committee carefully considered all the evidence and submissions presented.

The Committee accepts that SMOKIN' OAK racing manners were not ideal. However, it was evident that Mr Lammas permitted his mount to shift in when only 1 length clear. This resulted in SMOKIN' OAK being forced into the line of SAVVY COUP which clipped a heel and blundered. We deemed the level of carelessness to be in the mid to high range.

The Committee adopted 9 days as the starting point.

The Committee had regard for Rule 920 (2) when fixing penalty.
RULE 920 (2):
(a) the status of the Race;
(b) the stake payable in respect of the Race;
(c) any consequential effects upon any person or horse as a result of the breach of the Rule;
and/or
(d) the need to maintain integrity and public confidence in racing.

The aggravating factors were the incident occurred in a Listed Race with $1 million stakes payable and as a consequence of Mr Lammas’ actions SAVVY COUP received a significant check. We note that SAVVY COUP recovered well to the finish the race off strongly. The connections of SAVVY COUP would have every right to feel aggrieved at receiving interference 100 metres after the start. For these combined factors an uplift in penalty was applied.

The mitigating factors were Mr Lammas’ admission of the breach and his good record. For these combined factors we afforded Mr Lammas a 1 day reduction in penalty.

After taking into account all the above factors the Committee considered that an appropriate suspension was 13 national riding days.


penalty:

Accordingly, Mr Lammas had his license to ride in races suspended for a period to commence after racing on 3 February and conclude after racing on 23 February 2018.


hearing_type: Hearing


Rules: 638(1)(d)


Informant: Mr J Oatham - Chief Stipendiary Steward


JockeysandTrainer: Mr C Lammas - Rider of HARD MERCHANDISE


Otherperson: Mr A Coles - Stipendiary Steward, Mr M Williamson - Senior Stipendiary Steward, Ms S Collett - Rider of SMOKIN' OAK


PersonPresent:


Respondent:


StipendSteward:


raceid: fadcfb8683dde737b3e4f7e002dac22c


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: b05bface5bf1b42dc832ca3fdac4b488


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 27/01/2018


meet_title: Auckland RC - 27 January 2018


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: auckland-rc


meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing


meet_chair: ADooley


meet_pm1: NMcCutcheon


meet_pm2: none


name: Auckland RC