Stewards Report

Office of Racing Integrity

Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania

STEWARDS REPORT

CLUB		TASMANIAN TROTTING CLUB
DATE		SUNDAY 14 JULY 2024
WEATHER		Light Showers
TRACK		GOOD
STEWARDS PANEL	CHAIR	N Finnigan
PANEL		R Brown, G Griffin, B Hine (Data)
INSPECTIONS		R Simpson
SWAB		T Canham
STARTER		A Emery
VETERNARIAN		Dr M Buckerfield
MEDCAL PROVIDER		Medical Edge

Supplemental: Random drug screening was conducted at the Hobart Harness Trials on Monday 8th July 2024. All screens taken returned negative results.

General: Stewards approved the following late driving changes after trainer W Yole informed Stewards that Robert Walters would not be driving in tonight’s race meeting:

          Race 2:  SAPPHIRE GAMBLER – Kyle Pratten

          Race 3: FIESTA STRIDE – Mitch Ford

          Race 5: FEELINKINDALUCKY – Mitch Ford

          Race 6: PUNTARNO STRIDE NZ – Nathan Ford

          Race 8: NO NUKES SKIPPER NZ – Kyle Pratten

          Race 9: JEREMY WELLS – Dylan Ford

Further, due to the failure of driver Walters in contacting the Office of Racing Integrity, explaining as to why he would not be fulfilling his driving engagements, Stewards stood Mr Walters down from driving, under Australian Harness Racing (AHR) Rule 183(b), until an inquiry into this matter is conducted.

 

RACE 1  –  TASMANIAN HORSE TRANSPORT PACE  –  1609m  Mobile

JAKCLIFF– First registered race start. Back from its allotted position when the start was effected.

STONE WRITER– Excluded from the barrier draw after breaking gait shortly after the start.

SHADES OF SILK– Tended to race rough.

RACE 2  –  MORE CONFIDENCE CONSULTING PACE  –  2090m  Mobile

MARGARETS CLAN – Tended to over-race and pull hard. Shifted in near the 1200 resulting in its sulky wheel dislodging a marker.

ROCKS ROY– Out of position when the start was effected.

DAPPER NZ– Had difficulty in securing clear running in the early stages of the home straight in the run to the finish.

General: Driver M Ford was fined $100 for failing to have ROCKS ROY up and in position at the start [AHR Rule 162(1)(h)].

RACE 3  –  SMITHAWARDS PACE  –  2090m  Mobile

FIESTA STRIDE – Tended to over-race, pull hard and hang out whilst leading. Shifted ground late on the final turn despite the efforts of its driver.

ALWAYSBEALADY– Out of position when the start was effected.

SWIMINTHERIVER– Out of position when the start was effected.

MAGIC JOE– Out of position when the start was effected. Had difficulty in securing clear running in the early stages of the home straight in the run to the finish.

General: Driver R Hillier was reprimanded for failing to keep ALWAYSBEALADY up and in position until the start [AHR Rule 162(1)(h)].

General: Driver N Ford was fined $100 for failing to keep SWIMINTHERIVER up and in position until the start [AHR Rule 162(1)(h)].

General: Driver L Dakin was reprimanded for failing to keep MAGIC JOE in position until the start by shifting wider on the track prior to the start being effected [AHR Rule 162(1)(f)].

RACE 4  –  FEHLBERGS PRODUCE SPRINTLANE PACE  –  1609m  Mobile

ENSTEIN – Over-raced in behind the leader.

CARDINAL SIN– Driven forward from the start and caught racing three-wide for the first 400 metres. Eased to the rear of the field. Gave ground over the concluding stages for which a warning was issued.

RACE 5  –  PRYDES EASIFEED PACE  –  2090m  Mobile

FEELINKINDALUCKY – Placed on its last chance to race competitively after leading and running a moderate middle half, before giving ground over the final 400 metres, to be beaten in excess of 50 metres.

RACE 6  –  THE BEAUTIDE 3RD AUGUST PACE  –  2579m  Stand

General: Driver J Watson was reprimanded for delaying the start by turning COOL WATER PADDY NZ away from its 10 metre stating position, after being called forward from the starter [AHR Rule 162(1)(d)].

KUZMA– Excluded from the barrier draw in races conducted under standing start conditions after failing to begin in the required manner. Stewards in imposing this embargo were mindful that KUZMA had been given a final warning at its most recent standing start.

PUNTARNO STRIDE NZ– Will continue to be excluded from the barrier draw in standing start events after failing to begin in the required manner.

COOL WATER PADDY NZ– Shifted ground late on the final turn when the earplugs were removed. Driver Watson was instructed to take more care when performing this manoeuvre.

RACE 7 –  CAVALOR EQUICARE PACE   –  2090m  Mobile

DEBT TILL WE PART – Checked on the latter stages of the final turn and raced rough. A post-race Veterinary Examination found DEBT TILL WE PART to have a graze to its near-hind leg.

KENYA– Led the one-out line where it over-raced, this inadvertently, despite the efforts of its driver, applied undue pressure to the leader.

ALEXIS ROCKET NZ– Will continue to be excluded from the barrier draw in mobile start events after failing to fill its position at the start.

General: Driver C Salter was reprimanded for failing to have ALEXIS ROCKET NZ up and in position at the start [AHR Rule 162(1)(h)].

General: Stewards questioned drivers M Ford (MACH ANGELO), J Duggan (DEBT TILL WE PART) and N Ford (KENYA NZ) into an incident late on the final turn where DEBT TILL WE PART raced rough. Stewards after taking evidence from the drivers, reviewing the official race footage and on considering their own observations, deemed this to be a racing incident. The inquiry determined that approaching the point of the incident, KENYA had shied away from the movement of MACH ANGELO, which had moved wider, whilst clear of KENYA. Further, relying on evidence tendered from driver Duggan, DEBT TILL WE PART was racing against its lugging pole and tending to shift in. These combined movements brought KENYA and DEBT TILL WE PART together resulting in contact to the near-hind leg of DEBT TILL WE PART.

 

RACE 8  –  LADBROKES HUB PACE  –  1609m  Mobile

WILL HE PIKE– Began well before tightened for racing room entering the first turn where the gelding raced rough.

BETTER EXCLUSIVE NZ– Tightened for racing room before entering the first turn. Shifted in approaching the first turn, free of interference.

MAJOR LESTER– Tired badly, dropping out of the event, beaten in excess of 440 metres. A subsequent Veterinary Examination found MAJOR LESTER to have Atrial Fibrillated, which was the second occurrence for the gelding. Stewards acting under the provisions of AHR Rule 101C(2)(b), stood MAJOR LESTER down for 28 days, where the gelding must have full respite, once done MAJOR LESTER must pass a Veterinary Examination which includes a favourable ECG report and once the Veterinary Report is supplied, before returning to racing MAJOR LESTER must satisfactorily complete two (2) consecutive qualifying trials.

General: Stewards questioned drivers G Jones (WILL HE PIKE), T Ford (BETTER EXCLUSIVE NZ) and M Ford (MODERN POWER), also in attendance was concession driver advocate Mr N Webberley. The inquiry was brought about through Stewards concerns of tight racing shortly after the start and continuing into the early stages of the first turn. Stewards after taking evidence from the drivers, reviewing the official race footage and considering their own observations made the following:-

(1) driver M Ford was charged under the provisions of AHR Rule 168(1)(a) alleging he carelessly shifted in causing a tightening to runners to his inside through his movement closer to the markers, to which he pled guilty and was subsequently fined $200, and,

(2) driver T Ford was charged under the provisions of AHR Rule AHR Rule 163(1)(a)(iii) alleging she cause interference to WILL HE PIKE in the early stages of the first turn, to which she pled guilty and subsequently had her driver’s licence suspended for two (2) race dates. Stewards in assessing the two incidents believed that driver M Ford had carried BETTER EXCLUSIVE NZ down close to WILL HE PIKE causing a tightening to these runners. However once crossed, driver T Ford failed to relieve the pressure to her inside, remaining racing tight for some distance before entering the first turn where ultimately interference occurred.

RACE 9  –  RACING CONNECT PACE  –  2090m  Mobile

JEREMY WELLS– Over-raced and pulled hard for the majority of the event which resulted in the gelding racing tight in behind the leader LYNRYD SKYNRD NZ, resulting in its driver, J Duggan, being contacted on a number of occasions from behind. A warning was issued on the racing characteristics of JEREMY WELLS.

HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN – Reinstated in the barrier draw for races conducted under mobile start conditions after satisfying reinclusion requirements. Tired badly over the concluding stages, beaten in excess of 130 metres. A subsequent Veterinary Examination found no obvious abnormalities. Stewards deemed the performance of HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN below the required standard and as such stood the gelding down from racing until satisfactorily completing one (1) qualifying trial.

RACE MEETING SUMMARY

	RACE	DETAILS	AHR Rule
SUSPENSIONS:  2	N/A	Robert WALTERS – Stood Down Indefinitely from Driving, Pending Inquiry	183(b)
	8	Tiarna FORD; Interference – Suspended two(2) race dates	163(1)(a)(iii)
FINES:  3	2	Mitch FORD; $100 – OPS; Fail to come up into position at the start	162(1)(h)
	3	Nathan FORD; $100 – OPS; Fail to maintain position on Mobile until start	162(1)(j)
	8	Mitch FORD; $200 – Careless Driving causing Tightening	168(1)(a)
REPRIMANDS:  4	3	Rohan HILLIER – OPS; Fail to maintain position on Mobile until start	162(1)(j)
	3	Lachlan DAKIN – OPS, Cross out of position before the start	162(1)(f)
	6	Jack WATSON – Delaying the Start	162(1)(d)
	7	Christian SALTER – OPS; Fail to come up into position at the start	162(1)(h)
HORSE ACTIONS:   5	1	STONE WRITER; BAS – ODM
	6	KUZMA; GO – ODS
	8	MAJOR LESTER; Atrial Fibrillation – SD 28Days + SD Vet(ECG) + SD 2 Trials
	9	HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN; BMD
	9	HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN; PP – SD 1 Trial
PRE-RACE SWABS:  7	1	STONE WRITER
	3	FIESTA STRIDE
	4	MAEBEE
	7	MACH ANGELO
	7	KENYA
	9	LYNRYD SKYNRD NZ
	9	LOYOLA TROIS
POST RACE SWABS:  9		ALL WINNERS
POST RACE TCO2:  0		Nil
ADJOURNED/PENDING INQUIRIES:  1	N/A	Robert WALTERS – Fail to fulfil driving engagements	158(1)