Westport TC 28 December 2017 – R 2 – Chair, Mr R McKenzie
ID: JCA11340
Meet Title:
Westport TC - 28 December 2017
Meet Chair:
RMcKenzie
Meet Committee Member 1:
GClapp
Race Date:
2017/12/28
Race Number:
R2
Decision:
Mr Geddes having admitted the breach, the charge was found proved.
Penalty:
Mr Geddes is fined the sum of $200.
Facts:
Following the running of Race 2, Bernie Stewart Memorial Trot, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr SP Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Mr JB Geddes, alleging that Mr Geddes, as the driver of SODS LAW in the race, “forced another runner wider when not entitled to near the 1900 metres”.
Mr Geddes had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the Information form indicating that he admitted the breach and, further, that he did not wish to be present at the hearing of the information.
Rule 869 provides as follows:
(4) No horseman shall during any race do anything which interferes or is likely to interfere with his own horse and/or any other horse or its progress.
(6) Subject to sub-rule (4) hereof:
(b) a horse making a forward movement during any race shall not be forced to race wider on the track;
(c) a horse during a race shall not move ground outwards once the nose of the wider runner coming forward is in line with or past its sulky wheel and until the wider runner going forward is fully past.
Mr Renault showed video replays of the relevant part of the race with approximately 1900 metres to run. He pointed out SODS LAW, driven by Mr Geddes, racing five places back on the markers with STORM ALERT, driven by Mr CJ Markham, in a gap of several lengths, but improving.
Shortly thereafter, Mr Markham got to the outside of Mr Geddes’s wheel just as Mr Geddes moved out to the two-wide line, forcing Mr Markham’s runner to race 3-wide for a distance. Mr Geddes believed that he was entitled to come out but, unfortunately for him, Mr Markham was “improving at speed” and outside his wheel, Mr Renault said.
Submissions for Penalty:
Mr Renault said that Mr Geddes does not drive regularly. He has had 8 drives this season and had a total of 39 drives last season. He has a clear record in respect of all breaches.
Mr Renault said that Stewards believed that a fine of $200 was appropriate having regard to the Penalty Guide starting point of a $250 fine and taking into account Mr Geddes’s admission of the breach and good record.
Reasons for Penalty:
In arriving at penalty, the Committee had regard to the Penalty Guide starting point, as referred to by Mr Renault, of a $250 fine. The Committee assessed the breach as no worse than mid-range. Mr Renault properly referred to the relevant mitigating factors of Mr Geddes’ admission of the breach and good record which the Committee considered warranted a discount from the starting point of $50.
Decision Date: 08/01/2018
Publish Date: 08/01/2018
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: 1779365d1fefe3f49130681f5d822e52
informantnumber: A09610
horsename:
hearing_racingtype:
startdate: no date provided
newcharge: Inteference
plea: admitted
penaltyrequired: 1
decisiondate: 08/01/2018
hearing_title: Westport TC 28 December 2017 - R 2 - Chair, Mr R McKenzie
charge:
facts:
Following the running of Race 2, Bernie Stewart Memorial Trot, an Information was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr SP Renault, against Licensed Open Driver, Mr JB Geddes, alleging that Mr Geddes, as the driver of SODS LAW in the race, “forced another runner wider when not entitled to near the 1900 metres”.
Mr Geddes had signed the Statement by the Respondent on the Information form indicating that he admitted the breach and, further, that he did not wish to be present at the hearing of the information.
Rule 869 provides as follows:
(4) No horseman shall during any race do anything which interferes or is likely to interfere with his own horse and/or any other horse or its progress.
(6) Subject to sub-rule (4) hereof:
(b) a horse making a forward movement during any race shall not be forced to race wider on the track;
(c) a horse during a race shall not move ground outwards once the nose of the wider runner coming forward is in line with or past its sulky wheel and until the wider runner going forward is fully past.
Mr Renault showed video replays of the relevant part of the race with approximately 1900 metres to run. He pointed out SODS LAW, driven by Mr Geddes, racing five places back on the markers with STORM ALERT, driven by Mr CJ Markham, in a gap of several lengths, but improving.
Shortly thereafter, Mr Markham got to the outside of Mr Geddes’s wheel just as Mr Geddes moved out to the two-wide line, forcing Mr Markham’s runner to race 3-wide for a distance. Mr Geddes believed that he was entitled to come out but, unfortunately for him, Mr Markham was “improving at speed” and outside his wheel, Mr Renault said.
appealdecision:
isappeal:
submissionsfordecision:
reasonsfordecision:
Decision:
Mr Geddes having admitted the breach, the charge was found proved.
sumissionsforpenalty:
Mr Renault said that Mr Geddes does not drive regularly. He has had 8 drives this season and had a total of 39 drives last season. He has a clear record in respect of all breaches.
Mr Renault said that Stewards believed that a fine of $200 was appropriate having regard to the Penalty Guide starting point of a $250 fine and taking into account Mr Geddes’s admission of the breach and good record.
reasonsforpenalty:
In arriving at penalty, the Committee had regard to the Penalty Guide starting point, as referred to by Mr Renault, of a $250 fine. The Committee assessed the breach as no worse than mid-range. Mr Renault properly referred to the relevant mitigating factors of Mr Geddes’ admission of the breach and good record which the Committee considered warranted a discount from the starting point of $50.
penalty:
Mr Geddes is fined the sum of $200.
hearing_type: Hearing
Rules: 869(4)&(6)9b)&(c)
Informant: Mr SP Renault - Stipendiary Steward
JockeysandTrainer: Mr JB Geddes - Licensed Open Driver
Otherperson:
PersonPresent:
Respondent:
StipendSteward:
raceid: 663997c8b9ded1572842211a8fae3acb
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: 1dd5181695f59b2d955ba3412a3c358f
meet_expapproval:
meet_noreport: 0
waitingforpublication: 0
meet_emailed1: 0
meet_emailed2: 0
meetdate: 28/12/2017
meet_title: Westport TC - 28 December 2017
meet_expappcomment:
meet_km:
meet_otherexp:
tracklocation: westport-tc
meet_racingtype: harness-racing
meet_chair: RMcKenzie
meet_pm1: GClapp
meet_pm2: none
name: Westport TC