NZ Metro TC 18 July 2025 – R9 – Kyle Cameron

Following the running of Race 9, Book Now for Mid-Winter Xmas at Addington 1st & 15th August Mobile Pace, Open Driver, Kyle Cameron, admitted a charge that, as the Driver of STYLE COUNCIL in the race, he “shifted outwards near the 2200 metres forcing SAMVASA (Jim Curtin) wider on the track”.

Rule 869 provides:

(4)   No driver shall during any race do anything which interferes or is likely to interfere with his own horse and/or any other horse or its progress.

(6)   Subject to sub-rule (4) hereof:-

          (b) a horse during any race shall not be forced to race wider on the track;

(c) a horse during a race shall not move ground outwards once the nose of the wider runner coming forward is in line with or past its sulky wheel and until the wider runner going forward is fully past.

EVIDENCE:

Stipendiary Steward, Matt Sole, showed video replays of the incident, approximately 400 metres after the start of the 2600 metres race. He pointed out STYLE COUNCIL, driven by Mr Cameron, racing three places back on the markers and SAMVASA, driven by Mr Curtin, three places back and progressing in the running line.

Mr Sole pointed out that Mr Cameron was looking to come off the markers and shift onto the back of ONWARDSANDUPWARDS (Jonny Cox) to his outside, which was going forward.  Mr Sole showed that Mr Cameron then shifted out onto the back of that runner but, in the meantime, Mr Curtin’s runner had improved to the outside of Mr Cameron’s wheel. Mr Curtin’s runner was forced to race 3-wide for a distance before easing onto Mr Cameron’s back, three places back in the running line. Mr Curtin had lost his rightful position as a result, Mr Sole said.

Mr Cameron said that he had not intentionally forced Mr Curtin to race wider. He thought, at the time, that he had a gap.

DECISION:

The charge, having been admitted, is found proved.

SUBMISSIONS FOR PENALTY:

Mr Sole said that Mr Cameron has had 133 drives in the current season to date and, in the 2024 season, had 319 drives. He has no breaches of the rule on his record.

The Penalty Guide starting point for a breach of the Rule is a fine of $200, Mr Sole said, and Stewards were submitting that as an appropriate penalty for this breach.

Mr Cameron did not wish to say anything in relation to penalty.

REASONS FOR PENALTY:

This was a clear breach of the “Pushout Rule’. Mr Cameron has shifted out from the markers, to follow Mr Cox in the one-out line. When he did so, the nose of Mr Curtin’s runner, going forward, was past the sulky wheel of Mr Cameron’s runner and Mr Curtin was forced to race 3-wide. Mr Cameron took the position to which Mr Curtin was entitled.

The RIB Harness Racing Penalty Guide (October 2024) suggests a fine of $200 for a first, mid-level breach of the Pushout Rule.

Notwithstanding that Mr Cameron has a clear record and has admitted the breach, the Adjudicative Committee considers that those factors do not warrant a discount from the Penalty Guide starting point of a fine of $200, as per the Penalty Guide, and considers that to be the appropriate penalty for the breach.

CONCLUSION:

The Respondent, Open Driver, Kyle Cameron, is fined $200.