Auckland TR 5 March 2022 – R2 – Joe Kamaruddin

Evidence:

Following the running of Race 2, the Respondent Class B Rider Joe Kamaruddin admitted a charge of careless riding which was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d).  The Information alleged that as the rider of LINCOLN KING he permitted his mount to shift outwards over the concluding stages crowding SUPER SID that was checked just short of the finish. 

The Respondent acknowledged he understood the Rule and confirmed his admission of the breach. Apprentice Mentor Mr N Harris was present to assist.

Rule 638(1) (d) provides: A Rider shall not ride a horse in a manner which the Adjudicative Committee considers to be careless.

Using the available race films Stipendiary Steward Mrs Selvakumaran demonstrated the incident and identified the horses and Riders concerned, LINCOLN KING, SUPER SID (D DANIS), SPIRIT OF BAZ (M Cameron) and SWORDS DRAWN (T YANAGIDA).

Mrs Selvakumaran said that in the final 20 metres of the race LINCOLN KING commenced to shift outwards whist Mr Kamaruddin has continued to ride forward with the whip.  She said Mr Danis who was racing slightly behind and on LINCOLN KINGS outer was crowded and checked.  She added that SPIRIT OF BAZ was also inconvenienced.

In response, the Respondent stated that he was trying hard over the final 100 metres to win the race and added that his shift was close to the finish.

Decision:

As the Respondent admitted the breach the Adjudicative Committee finds the breach proved

Submission for Penalty:

Mr Oatham produced the Respondent’s riding record which indicated three previous breaches under the Careless Riding Rule in the last 12 months, namely:

30/06/21 at Cambridge – 4 days and $200

03/07/21 at Whangarei – 5 days and $300

13/11/21 at Tauranga – 5 days

Mr Oatham said the Respondent is a successful and busy Apprentice Rider who has had 629 mounts in the past 12 months. He said Stewards assessed his record as a neutral factor and assessed the level of carelessness to be in the mid-range.

The Respondent sought a deferment to any proposed suspension until after racing on 13 March 2022.

In terms of any proposed penalty Mr Harris submitted on behalf of the Respondent that he is the leading Apprentice Rider and has had a lot of success lately.  He added that he is still learning but has come a long way in a short time.

Reasons for Penalty:

After considering all submissions the Adjudicative Committee determined the Respondent’s carelessness to be in the mid-range and adopted a 7-day (suspension) as the starting point. This conforms with the NZTR Penalty Guide (as of 1 March 2022).

The available films clearly established that the Respondent permitted his mount to shift outwards when not sufficiently clear of the runners to his outside. He commenced to shift from the 20-metre mark and continued to shift 2 to 3 horse-widths.  Whilst doing so he rode forward with the whip and took no corrective action.  SUPER SID was significantly tightened and inconvenienced, as was its Rider (D Danis), with the point of contact with that horse being about 10-metres from the finish.

The Respondent’s riding record is treated as a neutral factor and there are no compelling reasons to deviate from the starting point.  Therefore after consideration of the above factors a 7-day suspension was imposed and the Respondent’s request for a deferment is granted.

Conclusion – Penalty:

The Respondent’s licence is suspended for a period of 7 days commencing after racing on 13 March 2022 and concluding after racing on 26 March 2022.