Archive Decision

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Cheviot HRC 4 March 2018 – R 4 – Chair, Mr R McKenzie

ID: JCA15087

Applicant:
S P Renault, Stipendiary Steward

Respondent(s):
M A Neilson, Licensed Open Driver

Information Number:
A10169

Hearing Type:
Hearing

New Charge:
Excessive Use of Whip

Rules:
869(2) & Use of the Whip Regulations

Plea:
admitted

Meet Title:
Cheviot HRC - 4 March 2018

Meet Chair:
RMcKenzie

Meet Committee Member 1:
HWeston

Race Date:
2018/03/04

Race Number:
R4

Decision:

Ms Neilson having admitted the breach, the charge was found proved.

Penalty:

Ms Neilson is fined the sum of $200.

Facts:

Following the running of Race 4, Durable Committeeman Peter Drake 80th Birthday Mobile Pace, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S P Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Ms M A Neilson, alleging that, as the driver of A LISTER in the race, she “used her whip in an excessive manner inside the final 400 metres”.

Ms Neilson had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the information form indicating that she admitted the breach and she further indicated that she did not wish to be present at the hearing.

Rule 869 provides as follows:

(2) No horseman shall during any race use a whip in a manner in contravention of the Use of the Whip Regulations made by the Board.

The Use of Whip Regulations (effective from 30 November 2017) provide:

(b) No horseman is permitted to use their whip in a striking motion on more than ten occasions inside the final 400 metres. This is inclusive of “backhanders” and the use applies to the horse, harness and/or sulky.

Mr Renault showed to the hearing a video replay of the final 400 metres of the race. He pointed out Ms Neilson, driving A LISTER, racing outside the leader as the field entered the final straight. After entering the home straight, Ms Neilson used her whip on 11 occasions to the finishing line, Mr Renault said.

Mr Renault said that Ms Neilson had not wanted to see the video replay before admitting the charge. Mr Renault added that Ms Neilson had accepted the alleged count of 11 strikes and, in any event, the video replay quite clearly showed her whip being used on 11 occasions.

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Renault informed the Committee that Ms Neilson is not a regular driver. She has had 8 drives to date this season and, last season, she had 10 raceday drives. Her record under all Rules was clear over the past 12 months.

Mr Renault referred to the penalty guide set out in the Use of the Whip Regulations. The sliding scale for a breach of the Rule provides for a starting point for penalty for a breach involving a number of strikes in the range of 11-13 of a $200 fine.

Mr Renault suggested that a fine of $200 was an appropriate penalty.

Reasons for Penalty:

In determining penalty, the Committee had regard to the sliding scale of penalties as set out in the Use of the Whip Regulations. The prescribed penalty for a first breach, as this breach is, involving a number of strikes in the range of 11-13 is a fine of $200. There were no aggravating factors in this case – the breach was no worse than mid-range – and there were no mitigating factors warranting a discount from the starting point in the Regulations.

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: a4c1de5f1c9ba878dd4301fb2bccb12d


informantnumber: A10169


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge: Excessive Use of Whip


plea: admitted


penaltyrequired: 1


decisiondate: 06/03/2018


hearing_title: Cheviot HRC 4 March 2018 - R 4 - Chair, Mr R McKenzie


charge:


facts:

Following the running of Race 4, Durable Committeeman Peter Drake 80th Birthday Mobile Pace, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S P Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Ms M A Neilson, alleging that, as the driver of A LISTER in the race, she “used her whip in an excessive manner inside the final 400 metres”.

Ms Neilson had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the information form indicating that she admitted the breach and she further indicated that she did not wish to be present at the hearing.

Rule 869 provides as follows:

(2) No horseman shall during any race use a whip in a manner in contravention of the Use of the Whip Regulations made by the Board.

The Use of Whip Regulations (effective from 30 November 2017) provide:

(b) No horseman is permitted to use their whip in a striking motion on more than ten occasions inside the final 400 metres. This is inclusive of “backhanders” and the use applies to the horse, harness and/or sulky.

Mr Renault showed to the hearing a video replay of the final 400 metres of the race. He pointed out Ms Neilson, driving A LISTER, racing outside the leader as the field entered the final straight. After entering the home straight, Ms Neilson used her whip on 11 occasions to the finishing line, Mr Renault said.

Mr Renault said that Ms Neilson had not wanted to see the video replay before admitting the charge. Mr Renault added that Ms Neilson had accepted the alleged count of 11 strikes and, in any event, the video replay quite clearly showed her whip being used on 11 occasions.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:


reasonsfordecision:


Decision:

Ms Neilson having admitted the breach, the charge was found proved.


sumissionsforpenalty:

Mr Renault informed the Committee that Ms Neilson is not a regular driver. She has had 8 drives to date this season and, last season, she had 10 raceday drives. Her record under all Rules was clear over the past 12 months.

Mr Renault referred to the penalty guide set out in the Use of the Whip Regulations. The sliding scale for a breach of the Rule provides for a starting point for penalty for a breach involving a number of strikes in the range of 11-13 of a $200 fine.

Mr Renault suggested that a fine of $200 was an appropriate penalty.


reasonsforpenalty:

In determining penalty, the Committee had regard to the sliding scale of penalties as set out in the Use of the Whip Regulations. The prescribed penalty for a first breach, as this breach is, involving a number of strikes in the range of 11-13 is a fine of $200. There were no aggravating factors in this case – the breach was no worse than mid-range – and there were no mitigating factors warranting a discount from the starting point in the Regulations.


penalty:

Ms Neilson is fined the sum of $200.


hearing_type: Hearing


Rules: 869(2) & Use of the Whip Regulations


Informant: S P Renault, Stipendiary Steward


JockeysandTrainer: M A Neilson, Licensed Open Driver


Otherperson:


PersonPresent:


Respondent:


StipendSteward:


raceid: d9986921c87004b1eafe7d87667ecf28


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: 7641cead87ca0b4e7677325b9434e9ff


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 04/03/2018


meet_title: Cheviot HRC - 4 March 2018


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: cheviot-hrc


meet_racingtype: harness-racing


meet_chair: RMcKenzie


meet_pm1: HWeston


meet_pm2: none


name: Cheviot HRC