Waikato BOP H 15 December 2022 – R4 – Alan Beecroft
ID: RIB14492
Animal Name:
MR INCREDIBLE
Code:
Harness
Race Date:
15/12/2022
Race Club:
Waikato BOP Harness Racing Inc
Race Location:
Cambridge Raceway - 1 Taylor Street, Cambridge, 3434
Race Number:
R4
Hearing Date:
15/12/2022
Hearing Location:
Cambridge Raceway
Outcome: Proved
Penalty: Driver, Alan Beecroft, suspended for 6 weeks
BACKGROUND:
Following the running of Race 4, O’Connor Warren Mobile Pace, the Respondent, Graduation Driver Alan Beecroft, as the Driver of MR INCREDIBLE in the race, admitted a charge of using his whip in more than a wrist flicking motion rounding the final turn and early in the run home.
Rule 869 provides:
(2) No driver shall during any race use a whip in a manner in contravention of the Use of the Whip Regulations made by the Board.
The Whip and Rein Regulations provide:
3.1 A driver may only apply the whip in a wrist only flicking motion whilst holding a rein in each hand with the tip of the whip pointed forward in an action which does not engage the shoulder.
EVIDENCE:
Senior Stipendiary Steward, Steve Mulcay, showed a video replay of the final 350 metres of the race. He pointed out MR INCREDIBLE, driven by the Respondent, attempting to improve 3-wide from the rear as the field neared the home straight. Just prior to the home turn, Mr Mulcay alleged, the Respondent used his whip on 3-4 occasions in more than a wrist only flicking motion and on a couple more occasions after turning for home, before reverting to a compliant style for the remainder of the run home. Mr Mulcay alleged that there was a total of six occasions on which the Respondent had used his whip in more than a wrist only flicking motion.
The Respondent questioned four of the alleged six strikes. He said that it could not be clearly seen that the whip had been used in more than a wrist only flicking motion. The Stewards’ video evidence would not stand up in a “Court of Law”, he said.
DECISION:
The charge is admitted and therefore proved.
SUBMISSIONS FOR PENALTY:
Senior Stipendiary Steward, Steve Mulcay, said that this is the Respondent’s second breach of this Rule, having been suspended for 4 weeks at the Waikato-Bay of Plenty HRC meeting on 1 August last for a similar breach. The breach was low-to-mid level, he submitted. A term of suspension of 6 weeks would be appropriate for this, a second breach, he submitted. The Respondent drives mainly at Cambridge meetings, Mr Mulcay said.
REASONS FOR PENALTY:
The Adjudicative Committee found that the breach was medium-level – “when a driver inadvertently reverts to the old style (freehand, loose reining and/or more than a flicking motion) and continues to drive in this manner for some distance (50 metres or more) before taking corrective steps to return to a compliant style of driving”. Also, it is a second offence.
The Respondent is an infrequent Driver, the Adjudicative Committee noted – 4 drives this season and 4 in the 2020/2021 season. This fact makes penalty a difficult exercise.
The Adjudicative Committee decided to deal with penalty by taking the starting point of a 4-weeks suspension, being the penalty for the previous breach, and uplifting that by 2 weeks for a second breach.
CONCLUSION:
The Respondent, Driver Alan Beecroft, is suspended for 6 weeks commencing on 16 December 2022 and concluding after 26 January 2023.
Decision Date: 15/12/2022
Publish Date: 17/01/2023