Auckland TR 31 January 2026 – R7 – Janelle Millar

Evidence

Following the running of Race 7, Deputy Stipendiary Steward Mr B Jones filed an Information alleging Licensed Trainer Ms J Millar breached Rule 613(a) “in that she presented FINAL RETURN to race in unstitched bandages”.

Ms Millar indicated on the Information that she admitted the breach and that she did not wish to be present at the hearing of the charge.

Senior Stipendiary Steward Ms P Kinsey advised the Adjudicative Committee that FINAL RETURN was presented to race with Elastoplast taped but not stitched, as required by the relevant Regulations.

By way of explanation, Ms Millar told Stewards that in the past, in the Central Districts, she had presented her horses to race in a similar manner, and it has never been raised with her as an issue.

As a consequence of the breach, the race was delayed 5 minutes while the bandage was corrected.

Decision

The breach is admitted; therefore, it is deemed to be proven.

Penalty Submissions

Mr Jones presented submissions to the Adjudicative Committee regarding the appropriate penalty for the breach. He stated that, to his knowledge, there has not been a comparable breach in the last two years. Furthermore, he noted that the Penalty Guide does not specify a starting point for this type of offence. Mr Jones highlighted that the five-minute delay to the race, which occurred as a result of the breach, should be considered an aggravating factor when determining the penalty. Based on these considerations, he recommended that a fine of $100 be imposed.

Reasons for Penalty

Having considered the circumstances and the breach, the Adjudicative Committee deemed a $100 fine to be an appropriate penalty.

Conclusion

A $100 fine was imposed.