Archive Decision

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R Rotorua 27 December 2019 – R 2 – (request for a ruling) – Chair, Mr A Dooley

ID: JCA15715

Stipend Steward:
Mr B Jones - Stipendiary Steward

Information Number:
A12909

Hearing Type:
Request Ruling

Rules:
632 (1) & 632 (2)

Code:
Thoroughbred

Meet Title:
Racing Rotorua - 27 December 2019

Meet Chair:
ADooley

Meet Committee Member 1:
AGodsalve

Meet Committee Member 2:
LYong

Race Date:
2019/12/27

Race Number:
R2

Decision:

Under the provisions of Rules 632(1) and 632(2), the Committee declared that the Judge’s placings shall stand.

Facts:

Following the running of Race 2, Mr B Jones, lodged an Information requesting a ruling in relation to Rule 632(1) and 632(2) to determine whether all runners obtained a fair start, whether the race should be voided or if any runners should be deemed a non-runner due to the failure of the gates.

Rule 632(1) provides “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 the 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 of its own accord), the Judicial Committee may declare such horse to be a non-starter.

Rule 632(2) states "If, in the opinion of the Judicial Committee, any horse gained an unfair advantage by its barrier stall malfunctioning and opening, or being forced, by such horse, open prior to the starter effecting a start, such horse may be declared a non-starter".

Submissions for Decision:

Mr Moody said that prior to the start being effected a light had gone off on the Starters button, signifying an electrical issue at the start. The gates were tested prior to the field being reloaded. Mr Moody said that there was a very slight delay to the opening of a few of the gates due to an issue with the power cord.

The Committee questioned all riders that rode in the race to establish if their chances were affected at the start of the race. After viewing the video footage all riders said that they had a fair start and there was no unfair advantage gained. All riders also said that none of their chances were materially prejudiced.

Mr Jones said that four starting stalls were forced open slightly early. He said it was not ideal but was of the view that no horses gained any advantage nor were their chances materially prejudiced.

Reasons for Decision:

The Committee carefully considered the submissions presented and reviewed the video footage several times frame by frame. The head on video footage showed that four starting stalls opened a small fraction earlier than the others. When the side on film and head on film were synchronised, there was no video evidence to suggest that any horse gained an unfair advantage. In addition after listening to all the riders and viewing the video footage we were satisfied that no horses had their chances materially prejudiced at the start.

When reviewing the video footage we found that PONTIAC (D Johnson) and JENNY KRAIG (T Thornton) both began awkwardly by their own accord.

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: c747d89c9e944210328062da6e8372ac


informantnumber: A12909


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge:


plea:


penaltyrequired:


decisiondate: 28/12/2019


hearing_title: R Rotorua 27 December 2019 - R 2 - (request for a ruling) - Chair, Mr A Dooley


charge:


facts:

Following the running of Race 2, Mr B Jones, lodged an Information requesting a ruling in relation to Rule 632(1) and 632(2) to determine whether all runners obtained a fair start, whether the race should be voided or if any runners should be deemed a non-runner due to the failure of the gates.

Rule 632(1) provides “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 the 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 of its own accord), the Judicial Committee may declare such horse to be a non-starter.

Rule 632(2) states "If, in the opinion of the Judicial Committee, any horse gained an unfair advantage by its barrier stall malfunctioning and opening, or being forced, by such horse, open prior to the starter effecting a start, such horse may be declared a non-starter".


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:

Mr Moody said that prior to the start being effected a light had gone off on the Starters button, signifying an electrical issue at the start. The gates were tested prior to the field being reloaded. Mr Moody said that there was a very slight delay to the opening of a few of the gates due to an issue with the power cord.

The Committee questioned all riders that rode in the race to establish if their chances were affected at the start of the race. After viewing the video footage all riders said that they had a fair start and there was no unfair advantage gained. All riders also said that none of their chances were materially prejudiced.

Mr Jones said that four starting stalls were forced open slightly early. He said it was not ideal but was of the view that no horses gained any advantage nor were their chances materially prejudiced.


reasonsfordecision:

The Committee carefully considered the submissions presented and reviewed the video footage several times frame by frame. The head on video footage showed that four starting stalls opened a small fraction earlier than the others. When the side on film and head on film were synchronised, there was no video evidence to suggest that any horse gained an unfair advantage. In addition after listening to all the riders and viewing the video footage we were satisfied that no horses had their chances materially prejudiced at the start.

When reviewing the video footage we found that PONTIAC (D Johnson) and JENNY KRAIG (T Thornton) both began awkwardly by their own accord.


Decision:

Under the provisions of Rules 632(1) and 632(2), the Committee declared that the Judge’s placings shall stand.


sumissionsforpenalty:


reasonsforpenalty:


penalty:


hearing_type: Request Ruling


Rules: 632 (1) & 632 (2)


Informant:


JockeysandTrainer:


Otherperson:


PersonPresent: Mr D Taylor - Raceday Manager, Mr M Coleman - Rider of ON THE NIGHTTRAIN, Mr R Hutchings - Rider of OPERATOR, Mr J Waddell - Rider of OUTTALIGN I AM, Ms D Johnson - Rider of PONTIAC, Mrs L Satherley - Rider of CRAIGIEVAR, Mr S McKay - Rider of OCEAN'S EIGHT, Mr C Lammas - Rider of DUSKY EYES, Mr A Calder - Rider of JAKAMA JILL, Ms T Thornton - Rider of JENNY KRAIG, Mr T Yanagida - Rider of REMARKABLE RUTH, Mr A Coles - Stipendiary Steward, Mr J Moody - Raceday Official/Starter


Respondent:


StipendSteward: Mr B Jones - Stipendiary Steward


raceid: 7068ba19446ed560c46a69871b659d1e


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R2


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 854149f3937aaeea87e59b686dbd483f


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 27/12/2019


meet_title: Racing Rotorua - 27 December 2019


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: racing-rotorua


meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing


meet_chair: ADooley


meet_pm1: AGodsalve


meet_pm2: LYong


name: Racing Rotorua