Timaru HRC 12 April 2013 – R2 (request for a ruling)
ID: JCA13929
Meet Title:
Timaru HRC - 12 April 2013
Meet Chair:
RMcKenzie
Meet Committee Member 1:
KHales
Race Date:
2013/04/12
Race Number:
R2
Decision:
The Committee ruled that horse No.5, QUITE A MOMENT, had been denied a fair start and any opportunity of taking part in the race. It was ordered that it be scratched from the race.
It was further ordered that dividends for the race be amended accordingly.
Facts:
Following the running of Race 2, Monarchy Handicap Trot, an information requesting a ruling under Rule 213 (1) (j) was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr N M Ydgren, as to “whether QUITE A MOMENT (R T May) was denied a fair start due to its pole being caught in the sulky prior to the start being effected”.
Mr R T May, driver of QUITE A MOMENT, was present at the hearing of the information and he indicated that he was representing the connections of that horse.
Rule 213 provides as follows:
(1) A Stipendiary Steward at any time may scratch from a race or declare ineligible to start in a race until a specific condition is met any horse on all or any of the following grounds:-
(j) if a horse was denied a fair start and such occurrence materially prejudiced the chances of that horse.
Submissions for Decision:
Mr Ydgren showed video replays of the start of Race 2, a standing start 2600 metres event for trotters. He pointed out QUITE A MOMENT, driven by Mr May, having drawn barrier position 1 on 20 metres. He said that, just prior to the tapes being released, the horse had swung its head to the inside and the boring pole and rein had become caught on the sulky shaft, leaving Mr May unable to steer the horse. Shortly after this, the tapes were released and the horse had been unable to take any part in the race.
Mr Ydgren explained that, prior to the start, there had been a considerable delay when a number of other horses were unable to address the tapes. QUITE A MOMENT had stood quietly in position throughout the period of this delay.
From the rear-on video replay, it could be seen that the boring pole and rein had, quite clearly, become caught on the sulky shaft and the tape could be seen to be released after that had happened.
Mr May confirmed that he was unable to steer the horse but it was too late to alert the starter. The horse had been standing for a long time, as he was the first to line up for the start, and it had become fractious, he said.
Mr Ydgren said that he supported the horse being declared a late scratching. He said that if a horse is denied a fair start through any fault on its own part, it is not normally declared a late scratching but he was “not comfortable” with that on this occasion. Mr May pointed out that the filly was favourite for the race. He submitted that it should be scratched from the race.
Reasons for Decision:
It was obvious, and agreed by all parties, that QUITE A MOMENT had been denied a fair start in the race when its boring pole and rein became caught up in the sulky shaft prior to the start, with the result that it was prevented from taking any part whatsoever in the race. The Committee was not satisfied that this was a consequence of bad barrier manners on the part of the horse. It had turned its head to the inside of the track just prior, but clearly prior, to the tapes being released after it had stood quietly in its position for several minutes while a number of other runners took up their positions. Furthermore, the boring pole and rein becoming caught up in the sulky shaft, as they did, as a result of the horse turning her head in could fairly be regarded as a freak occurrence – something that would not normally happen in such circumstances.
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: 81de35c7996c6e95a50ab12f66939497
informantnumber:
horsename:
hearing_racingtype:
startdate: no date provided
newcharge:
plea:
penaltyrequired:
decisiondate: 01/04/2013
hearing_title: Timaru HRC 12 April 2013 - R2 (request for a ruling)
charge:
facts:
Following the running of Race 2, Monarchy Handicap Trot, an information requesting a ruling under Rule 213 (1) (j) was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr N M Ydgren, as to “whether QUITE A MOMENT (R T May) was denied a fair start due to its pole being caught in the sulky prior to the start being effected”.
Mr R T May, driver of QUITE A MOMENT, was present at the hearing of the information and he indicated that he was representing the connections of that horse.
Rule 213 provides as follows:
(1) A Stipendiary Steward at any time may scratch from a race or declare ineligible to start in a race until a specific condition is met any horse on all or any of the following grounds:-
(j) if a horse was denied a fair start and such occurrence materially prejudiced the chances of that horse.
appealdecision:
isappeal:
submissionsfordecision:
Mr Ydgren showed video replays of the start of Race 2, a standing start 2600 metres event for trotters. He pointed out QUITE A MOMENT, driven by Mr May, having drawn barrier position 1 on 20 metres. He said that, just prior to the tapes being released, the horse had swung its head to the inside and the boring pole and rein had become caught on the sulky shaft, leaving Mr May unable to steer the horse. Shortly after this, the tapes were released and the horse had been unable to take any part in the race.
Mr Ydgren explained that, prior to the start, there had been a considerable delay when a number of other horses were unable to address the tapes. QUITE A MOMENT had stood quietly in position throughout the period of this delay.
From the rear-on video replay, it could be seen that the boring pole and rein had, quite clearly, become caught on the sulky shaft and the tape could be seen to be released after that had happened.
Mr May confirmed that he was unable to steer the horse but it was too late to alert the starter. The horse had been standing for a long time, as he was the first to line up for the start, and it had become fractious, he said.
Mr Ydgren said that he supported the horse being declared a late scratching. He said that if a horse is denied a fair start through any fault on its own part, it is not normally declared a late scratching but he was “not comfortable” with that on this occasion. Mr May pointed out that the filly was favourite for the race. He submitted that it should be scratched from the race.
reasonsfordecision:
It was obvious, and agreed by all parties, that QUITE A MOMENT had been denied a fair start in the race when its boring pole and rein became caught up in the sulky shaft prior to the start, with the result that it was prevented from taking any part whatsoever in the race. The Committee was not satisfied that this was a consequence of bad barrier manners on the part of the horse. It had turned its head to the inside of the track just prior, but clearly prior, to the tapes being released after it had stood quietly in its position for several minutes while a number of other runners took up their positions. Furthermore, the boring pole and rein becoming caught up in the sulky shaft, as they did, as a result of the horse turning her head in could fairly be regarded as a freak occurrence – something that would not normally happen in such circumstances.
Decision:
The Committee ruled that horse No.5, QUITE A MOMENT, had been denied a fair start and any opportunity of taking part in the race. It was ordered that it be scratched from the race.
It was further ordered that dividends for the race be amended accordingly.
sumissionsforpenalty:
reasonsforpenalty:
penalty:
hearing_type: Request Ruling
Rules: 213(1)(j)
Informant:
JockeysandTrainer:
Otherperson:
PersonPresent: R T May, Licensed Open Horseman
Respondent:
StipendSteward: N M Ydgren, Stipendiary Steward
raceid: 3cc20a0aaee67fe75737de7c8e9db465
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: 380d5bb41c2ff4b29da61ece53813892
meet_expapproval:
meet_noreport: 0
waitingforpublication: 0
meet_emailed1: 0
meet_emailed2: 0
meetdate: 12/04/2013
meet_title: Timaru HRC - 12 April 2013
meet_expappcomment:
meet_km:
meet_otherexp:
tracklocation: timaru-hrc
meet_racingtype: harness-racing
meet_chair: RMcKenzie
meet_pm1: KHales
meet_pm2: none
name: Timaru HRC