Manawatu RC 29 March 2014 – R 8 (request for a ruling)
ID: JCA16806
Code:
Thoroughbred
Meet Title:
Manawatu RC - 29 March 2014
Meet Chair:
NMoffatt
Meet Committee Member 1:
TUtikere
Race Date:
2014/03/29
Race Number:
R8
Decision:
Accordingly we were satisfied that JETSET LAD was denied a fair start and the Judicial Committee declared him to be a non-starter.
Facts:
Following the running of Race 8, the Listed Fairdale/Goodwood Studs Flying Handicap the Stewards requested a ruling in relation to Rule 632 in that JETSET LAD was denied a fair start.
Rule 632 reads: If, in the opinion of the Judicial Committee, a horse which does not finish in the first three placings was prevented from taking an effective part in a Race owing to mechanical failure of starting stalls, or is denied a fair start and such occurrence materially prejudiced the chances of that horse (but not where the horse is slow away by its own accord), the Judicial Committee may declare such horse to be a non-starter.
Submissions for Decision:
Race 8 was run over 1400m and JETSET LAD began from barrier number 12. Mr Goodwin showed all the available videos of the start of the race. The head-on view confirmed that all the gates opened correctly indicating no mechanical failure of the starting stalls. The side on view showed that JETSET LAD was slow away by a number of lengths. Mr Riddell, the rider of JETSET LAD, submitted that the reason the horse was slow away was because an attendant up beside the horse had hold of the horse’s head at the time the gates opened. Mr Riddell explained that JETSET LAD had managed to get his head up and over the front of the starting gates and an attendant went alongside to pull the horse's head back. At the time the field was released by the Starter the attendant still had a hold of the horse and because of this Mr Riddell was certain he was denied a fair start.
Mr Wheeler acknowledged that JETSET LAD had had problems at the start on previous occasions but said these were to do with being loaded into the gates, not with leaving the barrier and that now the horse was much improved. He said it was obvious that JETSET LAD did not get a fair start due to the Starter releasing the field too early.
By way of explanation Mr Philips said when he saw JETSET LAD get his head back down from over the gates he let the field go without realising that the attendant still had a hold. He said it was difficult for him to see exactly what was going on.
Mr Neal said there were two components to the incident with the first one being JETSET LAD becoming fractious and getting his head over the front of the gate. If this had been the only factor then the horse would have been slow away of its own accord however there was no doubt that the starting attendant clearly had a hold of JETSET LAD’S head when the gates opened.
Reasons for Decision:
The Judicial Committee carefully considered all of the submissions.
Rule 632 required us to determine if JETSET LAD was denied a fair start which materially affected its chances in the race. The video evidence, in particular the side on view, was quite clear in showing the horse leave the gates well behind the rest of the field. The important question was whether the horse was slow away of its own accord. Mr Riddell, who has ridden the horse many times previously, gave compelling evidence. He was in no doubt that his horse would have jumped with the rest of the field had its head not been restrained. It was mentioned by all parties that the timing of the gates opening was “unfortunate”. Had the Starter waited a moment longer the attendant would have let go of the horse’s head and JETSET LAD would have been afforded the same chances as the rest of the field.
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: a2dc03f25ce805f1a7f191bb074feaf4
informantnumber: A4202
horsename:
hearing_racingtype:
startdate: no date provided
newcharge:
plea:
penaltyrequired:
decisiondate: 29/03/2014
hearing_title: Manawatu RC 29 March 2014 - R 8 (request for a ruling)
charge:
facts:
Following the running of Race 8, the Listed Fairdale/Goodwood Studs Flying Handicap the Stewards requested a ruling in relation to Rule 632 in that JETSET LAD was denied a fair start.
Rule 632 reads: If, in the opinion of the Judicial Committee, a horse which does not finish in the first three placings was prevented from taking an effective part in a Race owing to mechanical failure of starting stalls, or is denied a fair start and such occurrence materially prejudiced the chances of that horse (but not where the horse is slow away by its own accord), the Judicial Committee may declare such horse to be a non-starter.
appealdecision:
isappeal:
submissionsfordecision:
Race 8 was run over 1400m and JETSET LAD began from barrier number 12. Mr Goodwin showed all the available videos of the start of the race. The head-on view confirmed that all the gates opened correctly indicating no mechanical failure of the starting stalls. The side on view showed that JETSET LAD was slow away by a number of lengths. Mr Riddell, the rider of JETSET LAD, submitted that the reason the horse was slow away was because an attendant up beside the horse had hold of the horse’s head at the time the gates opened. Mr Riddell explained that JETSET LAD had managed to get his head up and over the front of the starting gates and an attendant went alongside to pull the horse's head back. At the time the field was released by the Starter the attendant still had a hold of the horse and because of this Mr Riddell was certain he was denied a fair start.
Mr Wheeler acknowledged that JETSET LAD had had problems at the start on previous occasions but said these were to do with being loaded into the gates, not with leaving the barrier and that now the horse was much improved. He said it was obvious that JETSET LAD did not get a fair start due to the Starter releasing the field too early.
By way of explanation Mr Philips said when he saw JETSET LAD get his head back down from over the gates he let the field go without realising that the attendant still had a hold. He said it was difficult for him to see exactly what was going on.
Mr Neal said there were two components to the incident with the first one being JETSET LAD becoming fractious and getting his head over the front of the gate. If this had been the only factor then the horse would have been slow away of its own accord however there was no doubt that the starting attendant clearly had a hold of JETSET LAD’S head when the gates opened.
reasonsfordecision:
The Judicial Committee carefully considered all of the submissions.
Rule 632 required us to determine if JETSET LAD was denied a fair start which materially affected its chances in the race. The video evidence, in particular the side on view, was quite clear in showing the horse leave the gates well behind the rest of the field. The important question was whether the horse was slow away of its own accord. Mr Riddell, who has ridden the horse many times previously, gave compelling evidence. He was in no doubt that his horse would have jumped with the rest of the field had its head not been restrained. It was mentioned by all parties that the timing of the gates opening was “unfortunate”. Had the Starter waited a moment longer the attendant would have let go of the horse’s head and JETSET LAD would have been afforded the same chances as the rest of the field.
Decision:
Accordingly we were satisfied that JETSET LAD was denied a fair start and the Judicial Committee declared him to be a non-starter.
sumissionsforpenalty:
reasonsforpenalty:
penalty:
hearing_type: Request Ruling
Rules: 632
Informant:
JockeysandTrainer:
Otherperson:
PersonPresent: Mr J Wheeler - Trainer of JETSET LAD, Mr J Riddell - Rider of JETSET LAD, Mr G Phillips - Official Starter, Mr N Goodwin - Stipendiary Steward
Respondent:
StipendSteward: Mr R Neal - Co-Chief Stipendiary Steward
raceid: 063d2c834a2fe5d6e9cc8282b1a04e01
race_expapproval:
racecancelled: 0
race_noreport: 0
race_emailed1: 0
race_emailed2: 0
race_title: R8
submittochair:
race_expappcomment:
race_km:
race_otherexp:
race_chair:
race_pm1:
race_pm2:
meetid: e09adf39fd10ffb63f9bc6f7ad0c0cc7
meet_expapproval:
meet_noreport: 0
waitingforpublication: 0
meet_emailed1: 0
meet_emailed2: 0
meetdate: 29/03/2014
meet_title: Manawatu RC - 29 March 2014
meet_expappcomment:
meet_km:
meet_otherexp:
tracklocation: manawatu-rc
meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing
meet_chair: NMoffatt
meet_pm1: TUtikere
meet_pm2: none
name: Manawatu RC