Archive Decision

This decision has been migrated from the JCA website. Information is accurate but formatting may differ from contemporary decisions. Please contact us for any further enquiries.

Reefton TC 6 March 2016 – R 9 – Chair, R McKenzie

ID: JCA17838

Applicant:
S P Renault, Stipendiary Steward

Respondent(s):
P J Davis, Licensed Open Horseman

Information Number:
A3647

Hearing Type:
Hearing

New Charge:
Excessive Use of Whip

Rules:
869(2)(a)

Plea:
admitted

Meet Title:
Reefton TC - 6 March 2016

Meet Chair:
RMcKenzie

Meet Committee Member 1:
SChing

Race Date:
2016/03/06

Race Number:
R9

Decision:

Mr Davis having admitted the charge, the charge was found proved.

Penalty:

Mr Davis was fined the sum of $300.00.

Facts:

Following the running of Race 9, Buccleugh’s On High Inangahua Grey Valley Cup, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S P Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Mr P J Davis, alleging that Mr Davis, as the driver of CANNDEW in the race, “used his whip in an excessive manner over the concluding stages”.

Mr Davis had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the information form indicating that he admitted the breach. Mr Renault confirmed to the Committee that Mr Davis did not wish to attend the hearing of the charge.

Rule 869 provides as follows:

(2) No horseman shall during any race: -

     (a) use his whip in an unnecessary, excessive or improper manner.

Mr Renault showed to the hearing side-on and head-on video replays of the final 200-300 metres of the race. He pointed to Mr Davis, driving CANNDEW, racing three places back on the markers before obtaining a run up the passing lane. After activating the sliding blinds on the horse, Mr Davis commenced using his whip. Mr Renault submitted that Mr Davis had used the whip 18 times, with no pauses or alternative actions. This was outside the Guidelines, Mr Renault submitted.

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Renault informed the Committee that Mr Davis has a good record under the Rule. He has had 116 drives in the current season to date.

Mr Davis had endorsed the following penalty submission on the information form:

"I consider it to be a low end of scale. Horse won by a nose and wouldn’t of [sic] won if I had hit it any less."

Mr Renault submitted that, having regard to Mr Davis’ admission of the breach and his good record, a fine of $300 was an appropriate penalty.

Reasons for Penalty:

In reaching its decision on penalty, the Committee took as its starting point the Penalty Guide starting point of a $500 fine. There were no real aggravating factors but mitigating factors were Mr Davis’ admission of the breach and his good record, as submitted by Mr Renault.

The breach was, in the Committee’s view, in the mid-range. Mr Davis’ submission as to the winning margin is not a mitigating factor.

The Committee was prepared to give Mr Davis a discount of $200 from the starting point for the mitigating factors referred to. 

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: f41d9a9ae5d1e5d99d97cb4b597b8822


informantnumber: A3647


horsename:


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge: Excessive Use of Whip


plea: admitted


penaltyrequired: 1


decisiondate: 09/03/2016


hearing_title: Reefton TC 6 March 2016 - R 9 - Chair, R McKenzie


charge:


facts:

Following the running of Race 9, Buccleugh’s On High Inangahua Grey Valley Cup, an information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S P Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Mr P J Davis, alleging that Mr Davis, as the driver of CANNDEW in the race, “used his whip in an excessive manner over the concluding stages”.

Mr Davis had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the information form indicating that he admitted the breach. Mr Renault confirmed to the Committee that Mr Davis did not wish to attend the hearing of the charge.

Rule 869 provides as follows:

(2) No horseman shall during any race: -

     (a) use his whip in an unnecessary, excessive or improper manner.

Mr Renault showed to the hearing side-on and head-on video replays of the final 200-300 metres of the race. He pointed to Mr Davis, driving CANNDEW, racing three places back on the markers before obtaining a run up the passing lane. After activating the sliding blinds on the horse, Mr Davis commenced using his whip. Mr Renault submitted that Mr Davis had used the whip 18 times, with no pauses or alternative actions. This was outside the Guidelines, Mr Renault submitted.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:


reasonsfordecision:


Decision:

Mr Davis having admitted the charge, the charge was found proved.


sumissionsforpenalty:

Mr Renault informed the Committee that Mr Davis has a good record under the Rule. He has had 116 drives in the current season to date.

Mr Davis had endorsed the following penalty submission on the information form:

"I consider it to be a low end of scale. Horse won by a nose and wouldn’t of [sic] won if I had hit it any less."

Mr Renault submitted that, having regard to Mr Davis’ admission of the breach and his good record, a fine of $300 was an appropriate penalty.


reasonsforpenalty:

In reaching its decision on penalty, the Committee took as its starting point the Penalty Guide starting point of a $500 fine. There were no real aggravating factors but mitigating factors were Mr Davis’ admission of the breach and his good record, as submitted by Mr Renault.

The breach was, in the Committee’s view, in the mid-range. Mr Davis’ submission as to the winning margin is not a mitigating factor.

The Committee was prepared to give Mr Davis a discount of $200 from the starting point for the mitigating factors referred to. 


penalty:

Mr Davis was fined the sum of $300.00.


hearing_type: Hearing


Rules: 869(2)(a)


Informant: S P Renault, Stipendiary Steward


JockeysandTrainer: P J Davis, Licensed Open Horseman


Otherperson:


PersonPresent:


Respondent:


StipendSteward:


raceid: da31beb40b9b0b0e1d65cb3fcb794a66


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R9


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 037d05a79544c670dfc194287f6343d6


meet_expapproval:


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 06/03/2016


meet_title: Reefton TC - 6 March 2016


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km:


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: reefton-tc


meet_racingtype: harness-racing


meet_chair: RMcKenzie


meet_pm1: SChing


meet_pm2: none


name: Reefton TC