Manawatu RC 26 August 2023 – R7 – Ciel Butler

Evidence:

Following the running of Race 7, the Respondent Apprentice Rider Ms Ciel Butler, defended a charge of careless riding which was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d).  The Information alleged that as the Rider of SWEETJINEEN she allowed her mount to shift in over the final stages causing a check to HOOTER (T Davies).

Ms Butler understood the Rule and confirmed she was defending the charge.  Apprentice Mentor Ms K Clapperton 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 Mr Neil Goodwin demonstrated the incident and identified the horses and Riders concerned.

He said over the last 50m, all horses were under pressure and that HOOTER ridden by Ms Davies, was established in a run between 2 horses. Ms Butler riding SWEETJINEEN, was to the outside and Mrs Allpress (MR DIDGERIDOO) was to her inside. Ms Butler then moved inwards approximately 2 horse-widths into the line of HOOTER, forcing Ms Davies to check her mount.

Ms Davies was called as a witness for the Stewards. She said she had to check her mount due to pressure coming from the outside, and that Ms Butler was not clear of her when she moved inwards. In response to a question from Ms Clapperton, Ms Davies conceded there had been a little outward movement from Mrs Allpress.

Mrs Allpress also gave evidence for the Stewards. She said she had moved marginally outwards, but this was prior to the interference and at the time HOOTER was checked, she was running completely straight and played no part in the incident.

In response, Ms Clapperton showed the back view film and said HOOTER was never directly behind Ms Butler’s mount SWEETJINEEN, so questioned how could she have checked off the heels of that runner. Ms Butler defended the charge on the basis that both horses were tiring and there was slight movement from Mrs Allpress, which contributed.

Mr Simpson conceded Mrs Allpress had shifted 1/2 horse width from the 100m, but said there remained a clear gap for HOOTER. It was only when Ms Butler allowed SWEETJINEEN to shift inwards 2 horse-widths, that Ms Davies had to check.

Decision:

The Adjudicative Committee carefully considered all film angles, the evidence of all parties and found that while Mrs Allpress moved outwards, it was slight, and prior to the interference suffered by Ms Davies. HOOTER was positioned between Ms Butler and Mrs Allpress and was checked only when Ms Butler allowed SWEETJINEEN to roll inwards. If Ms Butler had remained on her line of running, the incident would not have occurred. The charge of careless riding was found proved.

Submissions for Penalty:

Stipendiary Steward Mr Simpson produced Ms Butler’s riding record, which indicated 2 previous breaches under the Careless Riding Rule in the last 12 months, namely:

28/10/22  midrange – 5 days

10/6/23    midrange – 5 days

The Respondent has had 185 mounts in the past 12 months.

Stipendiary Steward Mr Simpson said Stewards assessed the level of carelessness to be in the low range.

Ms Butler said she believed the breach was at the low end and said she would check with her Manager Mr Sweeney, of upcoming riding engagements.

Reasons for Penalty:

After considering all submissions, the Adjudicative Committee determined Ms Butler’s  carelessness to be in the low range and adopted a 5 day suspension as the starting point. This conforms with the NZTR Penalty Guide (as of 1 March 2022).

The available films clearly established that while  it was Ms Butler’s inward movement that caused HOOTER to be squeezed, slight outward movement from Mrs Allpress after the initial check, contributed to the tightening. The check did not affect final placings and was considered minor.

Taking into account Ms Butler’s riding record in relation to the number of rides she has had, and the fact she is a young Apprentice who has only been riding for a year, a 1-day reduction was applied to the 5-day starting point.

After consideration of the above factors, a 4-day suspension was imposed.

Conclusion:

The Respondent’s request for a deferment is granted and her Licence to ride in races is suspended for a period of 4 days, commencing after racing on Saturday September 2nd and concluding after racing on Saturday September 9th 2023.