Racing Te Aroha – 15 April 2009 – Race 8
ID: JCA19223
Hearing Type (Code):
thoroughbred-racing
Decision:
NB - AN APPEAL HAS BEEN FILED AND WILL BE HEARD AT TE RAPA ON FRIDAY 24 APRIL 2009.
--Following Race 8 an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 871 (1) (D). The Informant Mr J Oatham alleged that Mr M Walker, rider of STARCATCHER, permitted his mount to shift outwards near the 300 metres when not sufficiently clear of KIWI GIRL (T Thornton) who was taken out and had to be checked off the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL (A Calder). Mr Walker admitted the breach.
--
NB - AN APPEAL HAS BEEN FILED AND WILL BE HEARD AT TE RAPA ON FRIDAY 24 APRIL 2009.
--Following Race 8 an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 871 (1) (D). The Informant Mr J Oatham alleged that Mr M Walker, rider of STARCATCHER, permitted his mount to shift outwards near the 300 metres when not sufficiently clear of KIWI GIRL (T Thornton) who was taken out and had to be checked off the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL (A Calder). Mr Walker admitted the breach.
--Mr Williamson demonstrated the video films which clearly showed Mr Walker angle his mount STARCATCHER out to obtain a better run at the 300 metre mark. In doing so he pushed KIWI GIRL (T Thornton) out into the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL (A Calder). Mr Williamson said that initially this outward movement by Mr Walker did not cause a problem but in the later part of the movement Mrs Thornton had to take a hold and check her mount to avoid the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL.
--Mr Walker, in his submissions, said he admitted moving out but did not cause any trouble until the last stride or so when Mrs Thornton had to check. He said in his opinion it was minimal interference.
--PENALTY SUBMISSIONS
--Mr Oatham produced Mr Walker’s record which showed this was his first charge in the 6 months he has been back riding since his accident. However he said in this case Mr Walker had permitted his mount to move out several horse widths to the point where he was not the required distance clear of Mrs Thornton. He believed the penalty should be in the low to mid range.
--Mr Walker asked the Committee to consider his excellent record and believed his carelessness was minimal. He said he had commitments for 18 April 09 and would be very keen to be back for the premier day at Te Rapa for rides on the Vela horses.
--PENALTY
--The Committee carefully considered all evidence and submissions and before imposing a penalty took into account the following:
• Mr Walker’s guilty plea
• His excellent riding record
• His level of carelessness and the resultant check to Mrs Thornton. In this regard, we believe that, because he moved out some distance without correcting his mount, the check received by Mrs Thornton, which was a reasonably bad one, could have been avoided. He was clearly not the required distance clear of Mrs Thornton in the later part of the movement.
With regard to Mr Walker’s request to be able to ride at the premier meeting on 25 April 09,
as the starting point of careless riding suspensions is 4 days, this could not be considered.
Normally we believe this breach would warrant a 5 day suspension but because of the mitigating factors in the first 2 points above, we reduce this to the minimum suspension of 4 days.
Accordingly we suspend Mr Walker from race day riding from after racing on 18 April 09 until after the conclusion of racing on 25 April 09 (4 days)
--
Richard Seabrook
Chair
092
Decision Date: 15/04/2009
Publish Date: 15/04/2009
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: 2fc811732438c1348b8b8b9c9a6c2a02
informantnumber:
horsename:
hearing_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing
startdate: 15/04/2009
newcharge:
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decisiondate: no date provided
hearing_title: Racing Te Aroha - 15 April 2009 - Race 8
charge:
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appealdecision:
isappeal:
submissionsfordecision:
reasonsfordecision:
Decision:
NB - AN APPEAL HAS BEEN FILED AND WILL BE HEARD AT TE RAPA ON FRIDAY 24 APRIL 2009.
--Following Race 8 an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 871 (1) (D). The Informant Mr J Oatham alleged that Mr M Walker, rider of STARCATCHER, permitted his mount to shift outwards near the 300 metres when not sufficiently clear of KIWI GIRL (T Thornton) who was taken out and had to be checked off the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL (A Calder). Mr Walker admitted the breach.
--
NB - AN APPEAL HAS BEEN FILED AND WILL BE HEARD AT TE RAPA ON FRIDAY 24 APRIL 2009.
--Following Race 8 an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 871 (1) (D). The Informant Mr J Oatham alleged that Mr M Walker, rider of STARCATCHER, permitted his mount to shift outwards near the 300 metres when not sufficiently clear of KIWI GIRL (T Thornton) who was taken out and had to be checked off the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL (A Calder). Mr Walker admitted the breach.
--Mr Williamson demonstrated the video films which clearly showed Mr Walker angle his mount STARCATCHER out to obtain a better run at the 300 metre mark. In doing so he pushed KIWI GIRL (T Thornton) out into the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL (A Calder). Mr Williamson said that initially this outward movement by Mr Walker did not cause a problem but in the later part of the movement Mrs Thornton had to take a hold and check her mount to avoid the heels of BUNNY MCDOUGAL.
--Mr Walker, in his submissions, said he admitted moving out but did not cause any trouble until the last stride or so when Mrs Thornton had to check. He said in his opinion it was minimal interference.
--PENALTY SUBMISSIONS
--Mr Oatham produced Mr Walker’s record which showed this was his first charge in the 6 months he has been back riding since his accident. However he said in this case Mr Walker had permitted his mount to move out several horse widths to the point where he was not the required distance clear of Mrs Thornton. He believed the penalty should be in the low to mid range.
--Mr Walker asked the Committee to consider his excellent record and believed his carelessness was minimal. He said he had commitments for 18 April 09 and would be very keen to be back for the premier day at Te Rapa for rides on the Vela horses.
--PENALTY
--The Committee carefully considered all evidence and submissions and before imposing a penalty took into account the following:
• Mr Walker’s guilty plea
• His excellent riding record
• His level of carelessness and the resultant check to Mrs Thornton. In this regard, we believe that, because he moved out some distance without correcting his mount, the check received by Mrs Thornton, which was a reasonably bad one, could have been avoided. He was clearly not the required distance clear of Mrs Thornton in the later part of the movement.
With regard to Mr Walker’s request to be able to ride at the premier meeting on 25 April 09,
as the starting point of careless riding suspensions is 4 days, this could not be considered.
Normally we believe this breach would warrant a 5 day suspension but because of the mitigating factors in the first 2 points above, we reduce this to the minimum suspension of 4 days.
Accordingly we suspend Mr Walker from race day riding from after racing on 18 April 09 until after the conclusion of racing on 25 April 09 (4 days)
--
Richard Seabrook
Chair
092
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hearing_type: Old Hearing
Rules: 871.1.d
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