Tuapeka HRC 25 October 2026 – R3 – Kirstin Green

BACKGROUND

Following the running of Race 3, Open Driver Kirstin Green denied a charge that, as the Driver of GARONNE, she allowed her runner to contact the barrier strand, resulting in a false start being declared.

Rule 858 provides:

(1) A driver must not:-

       (a) Delay the start.

Clause 16.2 of the Starting Regulations, in part, provides:

Once called into line the horses are to line up back from the tape and walk forward when instructed to under clear direction from the Starter. There shall be no requirement for a field to stop and stand provided the horses are in a satisfactory line. 

At the start of the hearing, Ms Green confirmed she understood the nature of the charge.

EVIDENCE

Stipendiary Steward Shane Renault used the available videos from Race 3 to identify Ms Green addressing the 30 metre barrier strand with GARONNE, drawn the outer of the two horses on that handicap in the standing start event. The other six horses in the race were drawn on the front line.

Stewards alleged that Ms Green allowed GARONNE to get too close to the barrier strand and began to push through it before the Starter released the field. A Starter’s Assistant next to the outside fence was holding the 30m strand and was responsible for letting it go when the Starter pushed a button to release the front line barrier, thereby enabling the start to be effected.

Mr Renault submitted that just before the front line barrier could be seen being released across the face of the front line horses, the arms of the Starter’s Assistant holding the barrier tape at the 30m mark were noticeably being pulled forward. The video evidence showed this was because GARONNE had breasted (i.e. pushed into) the tape, Mr Renault said.

After releasing the 30m barrier strand, the Starter’s Assistant held up his hand and called out to alert the Starter that a horse had gone into the barrier before the start, Mr Renault said. The Starter called a false start, which caused a delay to the race.

Mr Renault noted that the Starter’s Assistant could not let the 30m barrier strand go until hearing the Starter call out the word, “RIGHT.” The Starter made this call when pushing the button to release the front line barrier.

Following the running of Race 3, Starter Ben Ward and Starter’s Assistant Tyler Dewe spoke to Stewards about the false start. Mr Dewe advised that Ms Green had gone into the barrier before the start, Mr Renault said.

In response to a question from the Adjudicative Committee, Mr Renault confirmed that the Starting Regulations permitted horses to walk up to the barrier and still be moving as the start was effected. There was no requirement for horses to be stationary, provided the Starter was satisfied with the speed and configuration of the line.

Witness Tyler Dewe – Starter’s Assistant

Stewards called Mr Dewe to give evidence. He was responsible for releasing the 30m barrier by hand. Mr Dewe said both of the horses handicapped on 30m came up to the barrier quite quickly. He said Ms Green’s horse continued to push forward until it contacted the tape and, by his estimation, went “halfway through the tape.”

Mr Dewe stated that GARONNE had pushed through the 30m tape up to his number plate by the time the Starter dispatched the front row horses.

“I’ve yelled out, ‘no good, no good,’ but I’ve had to let the tape go because Ben (Ward, the Starter) had said, ‘RIGHT,'” Mr Dewe said.

Upon reviewing video taken immediately before and during the start, Mr Dewe confirmed his arms had been pulled forward before the start by Ms Green’s horse walking into the 30m barrier.

Witness Ben Ward – Starter

Mr Ward said when he saw the two horses off 30m were facing forward, he switched his attention to the front line horses. He was satisfied with how the front line horses were coming up to their barrier, so let the field go. He then saw Mr Dewe’s hand in the air and heard him yell out, at which point Mr Ward called a false start.

“When Kirstin came back, I said, ‘what happened there?’ and Kirstin said, ‘I just couldn’t hold my horse.'” Mr Ward said.

Respondent Kirstin Green

Ms Green disputed that she had “allowed” her horse to contact the barrier strand, as specified in the charge.

“I wasn’t allowing him. I’ve got a pretty heavy hand on him, trying to hold him back,” she said. “I haven’t attempted to delay the start.”

Ms Green conceded GARONNE had breasted the 30m barrier strand, but said, “I think the timing is very marginal. It’s very split second. They still could (have) let us go. I don’t feel there was actually a need for a false start.”

Ms Green said her understanding of what it meant to delay the start of a race was for a Driver to turn out of the pre-start circle or to intentionally do something to delay the start.

“This has not been an intentional movement,” she said. “The horse has definitely breasted the tape, and I’ve been making all attempts to hang onto him. However, he’s still behind the tape. He hasn’t broken the tape… it’s not like he’s charged through.”

Ms Green submitted that the Starter’s Assistant still had hold of the 30m barrier when the front line horses were dispatched, and that he only raised his hand to signal a problem after the front line horses were underway. Ms Green reiterated her view that the race could have been allowed to continue.

Summing Up

Stewards believed the Respondent did not do enough to prevent GARONNE going through the barrier, Mr Renault said. Ms Green had her right leg down as her horse walked forward to the 30m barrier strand. She did not take a firm enough hold and put her right foot back in the footrest until GARONNE was pushing into the tape, Mr Renault submitted.

“Prior to her making contact with the barrier, there doesn’t appear to be any great hold, just a normal hold, just expecting the tape to go,” Mr Renault said. “We don’t believe that she’s made enough effort to stop that horse from contacting the barrier.”

Mr Renault added that by pushing into the barrier, GARONNE had started in advance of his 30m handicap. Stewards believed Mr Ward had correctly called a false start.

In summary, Ms Green said she had made a reasonable effort to restrain GARONNE behind the 30m barrier.

“I’m pretty strong and I was hanging onto the horse before my foot (went) up.”

She said she had walked up to the barrier at an acceptable pace in time with the other horse starting off 30m.

“I haven’t let my horse scream up to the tape. I think I’ve done everything correctly. It’s just unfortunate he did grab on at that last moment and put his chest up against the tape,” Ms Green said. “There was no intent to delay the start.”

REASONS FOR DECISION

The Rule states only that a Driver must not delay the start. It does not deal with the Driver’s intentions when addressing a barrier. The question for the Adjudicative Committee is therefore: did Ms Green take all reasonable and prudent measures to keep her horse behind the 30m barrier before the runners were dispatched.

The pre-start video shows Ms Green has her right leg down just before the start, as Drivers commonly do for standing start races in order to counterbalance a sharp getaway or early break. The risk is that with only one foot in a footrest, there is less leverage to help control a horse determined to push forward into the barrier strand. Unfortunately for Ms Green, that is what happens on this occasion.

GARONNE appears to walk up evenly to the 30m barrier under a moderate hold from the Respondent, but continues to walk into the tape and press beyond the designated starting point.

The video evidence supports the Stewards’ submission that Ms Green did not attempt to take a firmer hold and put her right foot back in the footrest until GARONNE was already pushing into the tape.

The fact that Ms Green does not have sufficient control results in the horse pushing into the barrier and being ahead of its 30 metre handicap when the Starter releases the front line. Mr Dewe’s evidence is that GARONNE pushes through the barrier up to its number plate by the time the Starter releases the front line horses. This equates to an advantage of approximately half a length.

Having been alerted to the situation by Mr Dewe, the Starter correctly calls a false start, which puts the race into delay.

A similar set of circumstances is found in a case involving Junior Driver Sam Thornley at Addington on 9 May 2025. Mr Thornley defended a charge of delaying the start by allowing his horse to make contact with the barrier strand. Mr Thornley addressed the start with a foot out of the footrest, only for his horse to breast the tape and cause the field to be turned out of line. In those circumstances, the charge was found to be proved.

On this occasion, the Adjudicative Committee accepts that Ms Green did not intend to cause a false start, but finds that she left it too late to make her best attempt to keep GARONNE behind the barrier.

DECISION

The charge is found to be proved.

PENALTY SUBMISSIONS

Stewards produced the Respondent’s record. Ms Green had had 226 drives this season and some 4800 lifetime drives.

Her record under the Rule was clear.

Mr Renault said Drivers found to have delayed the start of a race were normally dealt with under the Minor Infringement Regulations, which provided a fine of $200.

This matter progressed to a hearing because Ms Green had elected to defend the charge. Mr Renault made comparison to the Thornley case (see above), in which the charge was found proved after a defended hearing and a $200 fine was issued.

Consistent with this and other previous breaches, Mr Renault submitted a $200 fine was the appropriate penalty.

Ms Green did not seek to dispute the penalty setting provided for under the Minor Infringement Regulations.

REASONS FOR PENALTY

Ms Green defended the charge of delaying the start, as is her right. The Adjudicative Committee has found the charge proved. There are no grounds for departing from the Minor Infringement penalty that Ms Green would have incurred had she accepted the breach in the first instance.

CONCLUSION

Driver Kirstin Green is fined $200.