Rangitikei RC 15 September 2024 – R6 – Kavish Chowdhoory

Evidence:

Following the running of Race 6, the Respondent Class A Rider Mr K Chowdhoory admitted a charge of careless riding which was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d).  The Information alleged that he allowed his mount WONDERBOY to shift inwards toward the end of the back straight (850m), resulting in OMEGA BOY and MANZOR BLUE being checked.

The Respondent acknowledged he understood the Rule and confirmed his  admission of the breach.

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 Goodwin demonstrated the incident and identified the horses and Riders concerned. Ms Hercock (MANZOR BLUE) was on the rail, with Mr Kauri (OMEGA BOY) to her immediate outside and Mr Chowdhoory (WONDERBOY) wider still.

He said that approaching the end of the back straight, Mr Kauri’s mount was inclined to move away from Mr Chowdhoory. On the bend, Mr Chowdhoory looked across and moved inwards when not clear, directing Mr Kauri onto Ms Hercock. It was the opinion of the Stewards, that Mr Chowdhoory could have done more, and taken more care before moving ground.

In response, Mr Chowdhoory explained that WONDERBOY is one of the most challenging horses he has ridden, often lugging in and out during races. He also noted that WONDERBOY has a tendency to over-race, as confirmed by past race reports. On this occasion, he ducked in unexpectedly, and Mr Chowdhoory acknowledged that he likely did not take sufficient corrective action. As a result, he admitted the charge of careless riding.

Decision:

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

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Goodwin produced Mr Chowdhoory’s riding record, which indicated 4 previous breaches under the Careless Riding Rule in the last 12 months, namely:

30/12/23   4-day suspension

10/2/24     5-day suspension

13/4/24     5-day suspension

30/6/24     4-day suspension

The Respondent has had 369 mounts in the past 12 months.

Mr Goodwin said Stewards assessed the level of carelessness to be in the mid range, but emphasised that Mr Chowdhoory has not had a careless riding charge since moving to the North Island and rarely bothers the Stewards.

Mr Chowdhoory submitted that the horse was a difficult ride and asked that the Adjudicative Committee takes this into account. He advised of riding engagements through until Sunday September 22nd and sought a deferment to any proposed suspension.

Reasons for Penalty:

Mr Chowdhoory’s inward movement caused significant interference to Ms Hercock’s mount, prompting her to lodge a protest after the race. The protest might have been successful, had the interference occurred closer to the finish. WONDERBOY is known to be a difficult horse to ride, and its tendency to over-race contributed to the issues Mr Chowdhoory faced, when negotiating the tight bend out of the back straight on the synthetic track.

After reviewing all submissions, the Adjudicative Committee determined that Mr Chowdhoory’s carelessness was slightly above the low end, and used a 6-day suspension as the starting point in accordance with the NZTR Penalty Guide as of March 2024.

Mitigating factors considered included the horse’s difficult racing manners and Mr Chowdhoory’s admission of the breach. His riding record was treated as a neutral factor.

Taking these factors into account, a 5-day suspension was imposed.

Conclusion:

The Respondent’s request for a deferment is granted and his Licence to ride in races is suspended for a period of 5 days, commencing after racing on Sunday September 22nd and concluding after racing on Wednesday October 2nd 2024.