Otaki-Maori RC – 28 February 2010 – Race 6

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hearing_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing

startdate: 28/02/2010

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hearing_title: Otaki-Maori RC - 28 February 2010 - Race 6

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Raceday Judicial Decision

Information No: 6750

Meeting:  Otaki Maori Racing Club.  Date: 28/02/10

Venue:   Otaki

Chairman:  N. M. Moffatt,  Panel: C.McKay

Rule:   638 (1) (d)

Informant:  N. Goodwin

Defendant:  M. Hills

Following the running of Race 6, the 94.3 Solid Gold FM 1400, Mr. M. Hills was charged with careless riding under rule 638 (1) (d).  The information alleged that near the 200m you permitted your mount LEMON HONEY to shift out when not clear of MS SWEETPEA resulting in MS SWEETPEA being checked.

Raceday Judicial Decision

Information No: 6750

Meeting:  Otaki Maori Racing Club.  Date: 28/02/10

Venue:   Otaki

Chairman:  N. M. Moffatt,  Panel: C.McKay

Rule:   638 (1) (d)

Informant:  N. Goodwin

Defendant:  M. Hills

Following the running of Race 6, the 94.3 Solid Gold FM 1400, Mr. M. Hills was charged with careless riding under rule 638 (1) (d).  The information alleged that near the 200m you permitted your mount LEMON HONEY to shift out when not clear of MS SWEETPEA resulting in MS SWEETPEA being checked.

Mr. Hills did not admit the breach.

Mr. Goodwin called as a witness Ms V. Johnson, the rider of the affected horse MS SWEETPEA.

She told the committee that her horse was tiring and she had Mr. Hills on the inside of her looking for a run on LEMON HONEY. She was trying to hold her line but as Mr. Hill’s horse was travelling so well he was able to make his own room by pushing her outwards onto the heels of Ms Myers horse. She said that while she was severely checked MS SWEETPEA was never going to run in the money so her chances had not been affected by the incident.

Mr. Neal used the films to show Mr. Hills held up in behind MS SWEETPEA and MR OMEGEN. There was initially no room between these two horses but when half a gap presented Mr. Hills tried to push his way through. The tiring MS SWEETPEA was pushed outwards as LEMON HONEY made contact with her and continued to push through to win the race.  Mr. Neal said the gap that Mr. Hills attempted was only marginal.

Mr. Hills agreed that the gap he went through was marginal but said the cause of the interference was MR OMEGEN shifting off his line of running slightly which pushed LEMON HONEY into MS SWEETPEA. If Ms Rattley had kept MR OMEGEN straight there would have been no interference.

Mr. Goodwin did not dispute the fact that MR OMEGEN shifted outwards slightly but said that Mr. Hills attempted to go through a gap that was never there for him to take. He said the jostling to MS SWEETPEA went on for some distance prior to the movement from MR OMEGEN.

Decision

The committee had careful regard to all of the submissions put before it.  There was no doubt that MS SWEETPEA ridden by Ms Johnson was subject to buffeting from Mr. Hill’s mount LEMON HONEY. The head-on, side-on and rear-view films clearly show the interference.

It was the opinion of the committee that there was no legitimate gap in the first instance for Mr. Hills to take.  He found himself on a horse full of running but unfortunately blocked behind two horses, one of which was the tiring MS SWEETPEA.  Mr. Hills forced his mount into a marginal position shouldering his way into a gap that was not really available to him. Once into the gap Ms Rattley moved slightly outwards which compounded the situation, but did not cause it.

Accordingly we found the breach of Rule 638 (1) (d) proved.

Penalty

Mr. Goodwin said that Mr. Hills had a very good record with only one charge on 5/12/09. He said the Stewards did not consider the interference to be at the top end of the scale but submitted that a term of suspension be imposed.

Mr. Hills asked the committee to consider his good riding record and advised that he had no riding engagement within the next seven days so any suspension could begin immediately,

Penalty Decision

In coming to a decision on penalty the committee considered all of the submissions.  We took into account Mr. Hill’s very good riding record and the severity of the interference.
We placed the degree of interference in the low to mid range as while Mr. Hills did cause interference to Ms Johnson when attempting a marginal gap the outward movement of Ms Rattley further on also contributed.

Taking into account Mr. Hill’s riding engagements he is suspended from the close of racing today, Sunday February 28th, until the conclusion of racing on Saturday March 6th  – in effect four days.        

N. Moffatt              C. McKay
CHAIR                  Committee Member
6750

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hearing_type: Old Hearing

Rules: 638.1.d

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race_title: Race 6

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meetdate: 28/02/2010

meet_title: Otaki-Maori RC - 28 February 2010

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