Archive Decision

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Wellington RC 11 April 2014 – R 6 (instigating a protest)

ID: JCA13201

Applicant:
Mr K Smith - Jockey & rider of "Awesome Princess"

Respondent(s):
Mr J Lynds - Trainer of "Regal Steps"

Information Number:
A2713

Hearing Type:
Protest

Rules:
642(1)

Code:
Thoroughbred

Meet Title:
Wellington RC - 11 April 2015

Meet Chair:
PWilliams

Meet Committee Member 1:
NMcCutcheon

Race Date:
2015/04/11

Race Number:
R6

Decision:

The protest is upheld. The amended placings are:-

1st Sanjara (6)
2nd Awesome Princess (7)
3rd Regal Steps (2)
4th Zartan (1)
5th Miss Norway (9)
6th Biddie Walker (10)

Authorisation is given for the payment of all dividends and stakes based on the amended placings above.

Facts:

Following the running of race 6, the “Dal Cielo Cup”, Information A2713 instigating a protest was filed by Jockey Mr K Smith alleging a breach of Rule 642(1). The information stated that “Regal Steps” or its rider Mr R Hutchings interfered with the chances of “Awesome Princess” ridden by Mr Smith “over the final stages”.

The judge’s placings were:-

1st Sanjara (6)
2nd Regal Steps (2)
3rd Awesome Princess (7)
4th Zartan (1)
5th Miss Norway (9)
6th Biddie Walker (10)

The margin between 2nd and 3rd was a nose.

Rule 642(1) states:-

If a placed horse or its rider causes interference within the meaning of this Rule 642 to another placed horse, and the Judicial Committee is of the opinion that the horse so interfered with would have finished ahead of the first mentioned horse had such interference not occurred, they may place the first mentioned horse immediately after the horse interfered with”.

Submissions for Decision:

Stipendiary Steward Mr Goodwin used the head-on film at approximately the 200m point to identify the two horses concerned. The view of the final 200m of the race was replayed several times during the hearing as the parties spoke as was the side-on and rear view films of the incident.

Mr Smith said that approaching the 100m he had “a little bit of a scrape and a bump” with “Regal Steps”. He said with the track being a “Slow 9” and the margin between second and third only being a nose the incident had cost his horse a chance of finishing in second place.

Mr Johnson said the contact between the horses had disadvantaged his horse and considering the margin was only a nose he believed his horse would have finished second.

Mr Hutchings agreed that he had moved out and made contact with Mr Smith, however, he felt the two horses had barely touched and Mr Smith’s horse had not become unbalanced. He said he thought Mr Smith was in front of him at the time. He said after the contact Mr Smith’s horse was under a strong ride under the whip all the way from the 100m to the finish line whereas after straightening his horse he had come from behind and beaten Mr Smith’s horse for second place.

Mr Lynds had no comments to make.

Mr Goodwin said the films were clear and showed that Mr Hutchings' horse had moved out under pressure near the 100m mark and bumped Mr Smith’s horse which did become momentarily unbalanced. He said taking into account the margin between the two horses at the finish was only a nose he thought the protest had merit.

Reasons for Decision:

The Committee has reviewed the head-on and side-on films of the incident several times. The head-on film clearly shows Mr Hutchings on “Regal Steps” moved out near the 100m mark and made contact with “Awesome Princess”. The head-on film clearly shows that when contact was made it was firm enough to turn the hind quarters of “Awesome Princess” outwards placing the horse at a disadvantage and causing it to briefly lose momentum. ‘Awesome Princess” can then be seen to run on strongly from a position of at least a neck behind “Regal Steps” to end up being beaten by a nose at the line with both riders riding vigorously to the finish.

Taking into account that nose margin between the two horses at the finish the Committee believes had the interference not occurred “Awesome Princess” would have finished in front of “Regal Steps”.

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: 51832866c3952c47bc00a7643a68b713


informantnumber: A2713


horsename: REGAL STEPS


hearing_racingtype:


startdate: no date provided


newcharge:


plea:


penaltyrequired:


decisiondate: 02/04/2015


hearing_title: Wellington RC 11 April 2014 - R 6 (instigating a protest)


charge:


facts:

Following the running of race 6, the “Dal Cielo Cup”, Information A2713 instigating a protest was filed by Jockey Mr K Smith alleging a breach of Rule 642(1). The information stated that “Regal Steps” or its rider Mr R Hutchings interfered with the chances of “Awesome Princess” ridden by Mr Smith “over the final stages”.

The judge’s placings were:-

1st Sanjara (6)
2nd Regal Steps (2)
3rd Awesome Princess (7)
4th Zartan (1)
5th Miss Norway (9)
6th Biddie Walker (10)

The margin between 2nd and 3rd was a nose.

Rule 642(1) states:-

If a placed horse or its rider causes interference within the meaning of this Rule 642 to another placed horse, and the Judicial Committee is of the opinion that the horse so interfered with would have finished ahead of the first mentioned horse had such interference not occurred, they may place the first mentioned horse immediately after the horse interfered with”.


appealdecision:


isappeal:


submissionsfordecision:

Stipendiary Steward Mr Goodwin used the head-on film at approximately the 200m point to identify the two horses concerned. The view of the final 200m of the race was replayed several times during the hearing as the parties spoke as was the side-on and rear view films of the incident.

Mr Smith said that approaching the 100m he had “a little bit of a scrape and a bump” with “Regal Steps”. He said with the track being a “Slow 9” and the margin between second and third only being a nose the incident had cost his horse a chance of finishing in second place.

Mr Johnson said the contact between the horses had disadvantaged his horse and considering the margin was only a nose he believed his horse would have finished second.

Mr Hutchings agreed that he had moved out and made contact with Mr Smith, however, he felt the two horses had barely touched and Mr Smith’s horse had not become unbalanced. He said he thought Mr Smith was in front of him at the time. He said after the contact Mr Smith’s horse was under a strong ride under the whip all the way from the 100m to the finish line whereas after straightening his horse he had come from behind and beaten Mr Smith’s horse for second place.

Mr Lynds had no comments to make.

Mr Goodwin said the films were clear and showed that Mr Hutchings' horse had moved out under pressure near the 100m mark and bumped Mr Smith’s horse which did become momentarily unbalanced. He said taking into account the margin between the two horses at the finish was only a nose he thought the protest had merit.


reasonsfordecision:

The Committee has reviewed the head-on and side-on films of the incident several times. The head-on film clearly shows Mr Hutchings on “Regal Steps” moved out near the 100m mark and made contact with “Awesome Princess”. The head-on film clearly shows that when contact was made it was firm enough to turn the hind quarters of “Awesome Princess” outwards placing the horse at a disadvantage and causing it to briefly lose momentum. ‘Awesome Princess” can then be seen to run on strongly from a position of at least a neck behind “Regal Steps” to end up being beaten by a nose at the line with both riders riding vigorously to the finish.

Taking into account that nose margin between the two horses at the finish the Committee believes had the interference not occurred “Awesome Princess” would have finished in front of “Regal Steps”.


Decision:

The protest is upheld. The amended placings are:-

1st Sanjara (6)
2nd Awesome Princess (7)
3rd Regal Steps (2)
4th Zartan (1)
5th Miss Norway (9)
6th Biddie Walker (10)

Authorisation is given for the payment of all dividends and stakes based on the amended placings above.


sumissionsforpenalty:


reasonsforpenalty:


penalty:


hearing_type: Protest


Rules: 642(1)


Informant: Mr K Smith - Jockey & rider of "Awesome Princess"


JockeysandTrainer:


Otherperson:


PersonPresent: Mr H Johnson - trainer of "Awesome Princess", Mr R Neal - Co-Chief Stipendiary Steward, Mr R Hutchings - rider of "Regal Steps", Mr N Goodwin - Stipendiary Steward


Respondent: Mr J Lynds - Trainer of "Regal Steps"


StipendSteward:


raceid: 893d8cbdfa65979ab7a21709c102d4f1


race_expapproval:


racecancelled: 0


race_noreport: 0


race_emailed1: 0


race_emailed2: 0


race_title: R6


submittochair:


race_expappcomment:


race_km:


race_otherexp:


race_chair:


race_pm1:


race_pm2:


meetid: 17300582a537b68d219d99b0389e8147


meet_expapproval: approved


meet_noreport: 0


waitingforpublication: 0


meet_emailed1: 0


meet_emailed2: 0


meetdate: 11/04/2015


meet_title: Wellington RC - 11 April 2015


meet_expappcomment:


meet_km: [{"Comment": [], "MemberRole": "Chair ", "MemberID": "PWilliams", "Member": "", "OtherExpenses": "0", "KMs": "60", "Total": "37.2", "kmprice": 37.200000000000003, "Approved": "on"}]


meet_otherexp:


tracklocation: wellington-rc


meet_racingtype: thoroughbred-racing


meet_chair: PWilliams


meet_pm1: NMcCutcheon


meet_pm2: none


name: Wellington RC