Non Raceday Inquiry – Written Decision dated 18 November 2025 – Joe Doyle

Evidence

Following the running of Race 7, at the Riccarton Park – Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting on 25 October 2025, the Respondent Class A Rider, Joe Doyle, admitted a charge alleging excessive whip use prior to the 100 metres in that “when riding TEMPEST MOON he struck his mount 9 times prior to the 100m.”

The Respondent acknowledged he understood the Rule, the nature of the charge and confirmed his admission of the breach.

Rule 638(3)(g)(i) provides that in a Flat Race a Rider must not:

(i) strike a horse with a whip more than 5 times prior to the 100-metre mark (other than in a slapping motion down the shoulder with the whip hand remaining on the reins); or

Using the available race films, Chief Stipendiary Steward, John Oatham demonstrated that the Respondent struck his mount 9 times from near the 400m to the 100-metre mark, firstly 3 strikes with the right hand, before changing over to the left hand for the remaining 6 strikes. He added that Mr Doyle only struck TEMPEST MOON on a further 1 occasion prior to the post. Mr Oatham said that TEMPEST MOON finished in second place, with a margin of a neck to the winner.

Mr Doyle stated that the race was a 3000m event with slower, tending to be lazier horses in the race and his mount, he said, was off the bridle at the top of the straight and with trying to keep the horse up to his best performance, breached the Rule.

Decision

As the Respondent Mr Doyle admitted the breach, the Adjudicative Committee finds the breach proved.

Submissions for Penalty

Mr Oatham produced the Respondent’s record, which indicated a recent breach at Auckland on 29 October 2025, where he received a $450 fine for 8 strikes prior to the 100m.

Mr Oatham stated the Penalty Guide for a 2nd breach of excessive whip use for 4 or more additional strikes, was a starting point of 5 plus days. He said that had Mr Doyle been charged on the day of the offence, this would have been his first offence. He stated that considering the factors of this case, this breach could be treated as a 1st offence, which is provided for in the Penalty Guide, as a starting point of a 5-day suspension.

Mr Booth, Mr Doyle’s Agent, provided written submissions as recorded below.

To: The Adjudicative Committee

Joe Doyle has admitted this charge and the hearing today is to determine penalty in respect to the said charge of a breach of rule 638(3)(g)(i).

When considering penalty we would like you to take into account the following.

1. Joe’s outstanding record since he arrived in NZ in Nov 2022.

2. In exactly 2200 rides in this 3 yr period Joe has been suspended a total of 9 times.

3. Four of these suspensions were in his first 6 months in NZ during which time he was adjusting to NZ racing rules which of course are considerably different to UK and Irish jurisdictions.

4. This charge will in fact be only the 3rd time Joe has been charged with a whip use irregularity that could incur a suspension.

5. Joe’s last whip use suspension was in fact in April 2025 over 6 months ago. Prior to that he had not had a suspension since Feb 2024.

6. In summary we feel this demonstrates that Joe is a compliant rider who in the main obeys NZ rules of racing.

7. We would ask you to also consider the delay in charging Joe and how this eventuated.

Joe was not advised that he would be charged until some 6 days after the event.

The offence occurred on the 25th October 2025 but Joe was not informed of a possible charge until the 30th October when he was riding at the Taupo trials.

The explanation for this delay was that the offence was missed by Stewards on the day and was not noticed until it was bought to the attention of stewards we are presuming by an anonymous source. We are not privy to who this was.

This is particularly relevant as had Joe been charged on the day he would have taken the suspension after racing on the 27th October and would not have been riding at Pukekohe on the 29th where he received a fine for minor breach of this particular whip rule.

Our understanding is that stewards will look to now have this present charge looked at as second offence and we feel this is manifestly unfair as the event at Pukekohe would not have occurred as Joe would not have been riding at that meeting and should have in fact have been serving his suspension for the events of 25 October.

We have looked in depth at the Stewards report for the 25th October 2025 and it is noted that there were four whip use charges that day along with two careless use charges. In fact one of these charges involved a horse in race 7 the same race Joe breached the whip rule he has now been charged with.

Also mentioned in race 7 was that Tempest Moon (Joe’s mount) had to be steadied to avoid another runner.

The relevance in this is that Stewards viewed the race at that the time yet Joe’s whip use was not observed.

In summary whilst we agree some suspension is relevant, the guideline for this offence if it were correctly treated as a first offence a suspension of 5 riding days would apply.

However in view of Joe’s record and other matters outlined in this submission in regard to the time taken to recognise the offence and then proceed with it we feel a suspension of 4 days would be relevant as Joe through no fault of his own has had this matter belatedly extended and hanging over him during one of NZ’s most prestigious racing carnivals.

We do thank you for listening to our submissions and for the time given to present same.

Mr Doyle made no further submissions on penalty, apart from seeking a deferment until after racing on 22 November 2025.

Reasons for Penalty

The Penalty Guide starting point for a breach of this nature is set out below.

For breaches of the Whip Rule prior to the 100m mark:

2nd offence starting point 5 plus day suspension where there are 4 or more additional strikes

This Adjudicative Committee determined that there were no aggravating factors to consider.

The unusual circumstances of the case where Mr Doyle, had he been charged on the day of the offence, would have been looking at a 1st offence with a starting point of a 5-day suspension. Mr Booth, on behalf of Mr Doyle’s submissions on penalty were similar, with consideration be given to the breach being treated as a 1st offence, with a suspension of 4 days to be imposed.

After consideration, this Adjudicative Committee determined that due to the unusual circumstances of the case, this case would be treated as a first offence.

The Penalty Guide provides a 5-day suspension for an initial breach of this Rule, where there are 4 or more additional strikes prior to the 100m, mitigation inclusive.

The Adjudicative Committee deemed that there were no aggravating factors to consider, therefore no uplift in penalty was warranted.

It was therefore determined that a 5-day suspension was an appropriate penalty, due to the circumstances of the case.

Conclusion

Mr Doyle’s application for a deferment of penalty until after racing on 22 November 2025 is granted.

The Respondent Mr Doyle, is suspended from the conclusion of racing on 22 November 2025, up to and including 30 November 2025.