Rangiora HRC 1 March 2026 – R4 – Kimberly Butt

Following the running of Race 4, Canterbury Honda – Thanks for Your Assistance Pace, Open Driver, Kimberly Butt, denied a charge that, as the Driver of INTERRORGATOR in the race, she “shifted outwards near the 1050 metres, forcing NASANA (Sam Payne) wider on the track”, a breach of the Pushout Rule.

Rule 869 provides that:

(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:

(a)  drivers are permitted to move ground inwards or outwards at any stage of the race to   improve their racing position;

(b)  a horse making a forward movement 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.

(7)   Sub-rule (6)(b) and (c) of this Rule shall apply until 1000 metres from the finish of the race.

EVIDENCE:

Stipendiary Steward Shane Renault, showed the available video replays (side-on and head-on) of the incident, with approximately 1050 metres to run. He pointed out INTERRORGATOR, driven by Ms Butt, racing in third-to-last position, in the one-out line, being followed by NASANA, driven by Mr Payne. Mr Renault then showed Ms Butt, just prior to the 1000 metres, he alleged, shift her runner out and force NASANA, which had improved to her outside and got past her wheel, to race three-wide for some distance, in breach of the Pushout Rule. The movement was all prior to the 1000 metres Stewards were alleging, Mr Renault said.

Ms Butt produced to the hearing a “birds eye view” (her words) plan of the track on her telephone. She submitted that the “angle of the track” is different from the angle of the camera. The camera was “straight on” but the track was “angled back”. She said that she had been aware of the 1000 metres approaching, was looking for it and was waiting for it. She submitted that it was not possible to determine exactly where the 1000 metres mark was.

Mr Renault, in summing up, said that Stewards believed that the incident had taken place prior to the 1000 metres. Ms Butt had, unfortunately, misjudged her move, he said. He accepted that, out on the track, Ms Butt believed she was entitled to move, but the video showed that her movement was prior to the 1000 metres.

DECISION:

The charge was found proved.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Adjudicative Committee was satisfied that Ms Butt’s drive, INTERRORGATOR, was racing in the last few runners approaching the 1000 metres, after which point she would have been entitled to ease Mr Payne’s runner wider. The Adjudicative Committee is also satisfied that Ms Butt commenced her outwards movement prior to the 1000 metres which, in the view of the Adjudicative Committee, the side-on video replay clearly showed. When she did so, the nose of Mr Payne’s runner was, quite clearly, past Ms Butt’s sulky wheel. This point was not disputed by Ms Butt.

Two other things need to be shown to establish a breach of the Rule in this case. Firstly, that Mr Payne’s runner was forced to race wider on the track and, secondly, it has to be shown that this happened prior to the 1000 metres. The Adjudicative Committee was satisfied that all three elements have been proved in this case. The Adjudicative Committee found Ms Butt’s defence, based on camera angles, to be fanciful. The video replays showed the breach to the Adjudicative Committee’s satisfaction.

The Adjudicative Committee noted that neither runner involved, finished among the placed horses.

PENALTY SUBMISSIONS:

Mr Renault said that Ms Butt has had 29 drives this season (266 in 2025) and has one previous breach of the Rule on her record – at Addington on 11 November 2025 (fined $500).

He referred to the Penalty Guide starting point for penalty, for a second breach, of a 3-days suspension, and submitted that would be an appropriate penalty for the breach. In doing so, he referred to a similar breach by a Junior Driver on 7 January this year, which resulted in a 3-days suspension. Second breaches of the Pushout Rule are relatively rare.

REASONS FOR PENALTY:

The RIB Harness Racing Penalty Guide (October 2024) provides a starting point for penalty for a second breach of the Pushout Rule of a 3-days suspension.

The breach was mid-range. Mr Payne was forced to race wide for some distance, and Ms Butt was able to take up a position in the running, more favourable, which Mr Payne would have obtained.

Ms Butt cannot be given credit for admitting the breach. There are no discernible aggravating or mitigating factors and, accordingly, the Adjudicative Committee deemed a 3-days suspension, as per the Penalty Guide, to be the appropriate penalty for the breach.

CONCLUSION:

Open Driver Kimberly Butt, is suspended from after the close of racing on 1 March 2026, up to and including 13 March 2026 – 3 days.