Archive Decision

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Hawke’s Bay RI 1 January 2018 – R 5 – Chair, Mrs N Moffatt

ID: JCA17722

Applicant:
Mr D Balcombe - Stipendiary Steward

Respondent(s):
Mr T Johnson - Apprentice Rider

Other Person:
Mr R Jones - Senior Rider assisting Mr Johnson, Mr N Goodwin - Stipendiary Steward

Information Number:
A8807

Hearing Type:
Hearing

New Charge:
Careless Riding

Rules:
638(1)(d)

Plea:
admitted

Code:
Thoroughbred

Meet Title:
Hawkes Bay RI - 1 January 2018

Meet Chair:
NMoffatt

Meet Committee Member 1:
TCastles

Race Date:
2018/01/01

Race Number:
R 5

Decision:

As Mr Johnson admitted the breach we found the charge proved.

Penalty:

Mr Johnson’s license is suspended from the close of racing on Friday January 12th up to and including racing on Saturday January 20th.

Facts:

Following the running of Race 5 (Russell Roads City of Hastings Cup – FastTrack 5K), an Information was lodged by Mr D Balcombe alleging a breach of Rule 638(1)(d) in that T Johnson (MORSE CODE) allowed his mount to shift out in the home straight when not clear of PETITE EN JEU.

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

Mr Johnson confirmed to the Committee that he understood the charge and that he admitted the breach.

Although the Committee had viewed the films during the protest hearing we asked the Stewards to take us through them again. Using the head-on film Mr Goodwin showed Mr Johnson in a position 2 horse-widths off the rail. Riding vigorously he allowed his mount to move outwards with no attempt to correct its line of running. In doing so he took the rightful line of running of PETITE EN JEU crowding that runner and causing it to change ground. The side-on film showed the degree of interference that occurred.

Mr Jones, on behalf of Mr Johnson, said the outward movement had been a gradual one and that a contributing factor was the slight inward movement of SCANDALO, although that had been after most of the incident had already occurred.

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Balcombe produced Mr Johnson’s riding record over the last 12 months which showed only one charge under this rule which occurred yesterday (31/12/17) at Stratford for which he received a four day suspension.

Mr Balcombe said this was an exceptional record. In regard to the incident today Mr Balcombe said Mr Johnson had a lot of time to straighten his mount up but failed to do so. His carelessness cost PETITE EN JEU a higher placing.

He said the Stewards would classify today’s breach as in the low to midrange and submitted that a term of suspension was an appropriate penalty.

Mr Jones said he believed the breach was at the low end of carelessness. Mr Johnson had no intent to push out but rather had moved outwards gradually under a vigorous ride.

In relation to a question from the Committee Mr Johnson said he was aware that he was drifting out but he did not realise there was another horse on his hindquarters. Mr Singh did not call out to him - if he had known he was there he would have straightened immediately.

Mr Jones said it was general practice for another rider to call out if things were getting tight but these were two apprentice riders.

Mr Johnson advised that he had a suspension beginning from next Saturday January 6th and concluding on Friday January 12th.

Reasons for Penalty:

The Committee assessed the degree of carelessness to be in the lower range and adopted a starting point of 6 days suspension. Mr Johnson moved out in a gradual manner unaware that there was a runner outside of his hindquarters. We note he is an apprentice rider and lacking perhaps the same race experience and awareness as a more senior rider. We accept that if Mr Singh had called out, Mr Johnson would immediately have taken corrective action.

An aggravating factor was the relegation of Mr Johnson’s mount from 2nd to 3rd for which we uplifted the starting point to one of 7 days.

Mr Johnson admitted the breach and has a very good record with only a single charge of careless riding in over 12 months. We reduced his penalty by one day to a six day suspension.

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: e44a6083742faba5fc0ba911e66dcac6


informantnumber: A8807


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge: Careless Riding


plea: admitted


penaltyrequired: 1


decisiondate: 03/01/2018


hearing_title: Hawke's Bay RI 1 January 2018 - R 5 - Chair, Mrs N Moffatt


charge:


facts:

Following the running of Race 5 (Russell Roads City of Hastings Cup – FastTrack 5K), an Information was lodged by Mr D Balcombe alleging a breach of Rule 638(1)(d) in that T Johnson (MORSE CODE) allowed his mount to shift out in the home straight when not clear of PETITE EN JEU.

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

Mr Johnson confirmed to the Committee that he understood the charge and that he admitted the breach.

Although the Committee had viewed the films during the protest hearing we asked the Stewards to take us through them again. Using the head-on film Mr Goodwin showed Mr Johnson in a position 2 horse-widths off the rail. Riding vigorously he allowed his mount to move outwards with no attempt to correct its line of running. In doing so he took the rightful line of running of PETITE EN JEU crowding that runner and causing it to change ground. The side-on film showed the degree of interference that occurred.

Mr Jones, on behalf of Mr Johnson, said the outward movement had been a gradual one and that a contributing factor was the slight inward movement of SCANDALO, although that had been after most of the incident had already occurred.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:


reasonsfordecision:


Decision:

As Mr Johnson admitted the breach we found the charge proved.


sumissionsforpenalty:

Mr Balcombe produced Mr Johnson’s riding record over the last 12 months which showed only one charge under this rule which occurred yesterday (31/12/17) at Stratford for which he received a four day suspension.

Mr Balcombe said this was an exceptional record. In regard to the incident today Mr Balcombe said Mr Johnson had a lot of time to straighten his mount up but failed to do so. His carelessness cost PETITE EN JEU a higher placing.

He said the Stewards would classify today’s breach as in the low to midrange and submitted that a term of suspension was an appropriate penalty.

Mr Jones said he believed the breach was at the low end of carelessness. Mr Johnson had no intent to push out but rather had moved outwards gradually under a vigorous ride.

In relation to a question from the Committee Mr Johnson said he was aware that he was drifting out but he did not realise there was another horse on his hindquarters. Mr Singh did not call out to him - if he had known he was there he would have straightened immediately.

Mr Jones said it was general practice for another rider to call out if things were getting tight but these were two apprentice riders.

Mr Johnson advised that he had a suspension beginning from next Saturday January 6th and concluding on Friday January 12th.


reasonsforpenalty:

The Committee assessed the degree of carelessness to be in the lower range and adopted a starting point of 6 days suspension. Mr Johnson moved out in a gradual manner unaware that there was a runner outside of his hindquarters. We note he is an apprentice rider and lacking perhaps the same race experience and awareness as a more senior rider. We accept that if Mr Singh had called out, Mr Johnson would immediately have taken corrective action.

An aggravating factor was the relegation of Mr Johnson’s mount from 2nd to 3rd for which we uplifted the starting point to one of 7 days.

Mr Johnson admitted the breach and has a very good record with only a single charge of careless riding in over 12 months. We reduced his penalty by one day to a six day suspension.


penalty:

Mr Johnson’s license is suspended from the close of racing on Friday January 12th up to and including racing on Saturday January 20th.


hearing_type: Hearing


Rules: 638(1)(d)


Informant: Mr D Balcombe - Stipendiary Steward


JockeysandTrainer: Mr T Johnson - Apprentice Rider


Otherperson: Mr R Jones - Senior Rider assisting Mr Johnson, Mr N Goodwin - Stipendiary Steward


PersonPresent:


Respondent:


StipendSteward:


raceid: 5ee0a529dc46740c1057291526d6ad8e


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R 5


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 7d6cce446e1716d5bd0000df019451da


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 01/01/2018


meet_title: Hawkes Bay RI - 1 January 2018


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: hawkes-bay-ri


meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing


meet_chair: NMoffatt


meet_pm1: TCastles


meet_pm2: none


name: Hawkes Bay RI