Request for Ruling Ashburton TC 22 December 2022 – R1 – RANDEL HUSTON P

BACKGROUND:

Following the running of Race 1, McKain Quality Construction Trot, the Applicant, Trainer Brent White, filed an Information Requesting a Ruling pursuant to Rule 213(1)(j) as to whether RANDAL HUSTON P, trained by him, was denied a fair start.

Rule 213 provides:

• A Stipendiary Steward at any time may scratch from a race or declare ineligible to start in a race until a specific condition is met any horse on all or any of the following grounds:

(j)     if a horse was denied a fair start and such occurrence materially prejudiced the chances of that horse

EVIDENCE:

Chief Stipendiary Steward, Nigel McIntyre, showed a video replay of the start of the race, a standing start race over the distance of 2400 metres and pointed out that RANDEL HUSTON P, had correctly started from barrier position, Unruly 2 in the 9-horse field. He said that the barrier was released, and the horse stood there. It was the Stewards’ submission that it was the horse’s manners. There was no one impeding the progress of the horse, the barrier strand was released correctly and there was no interference to the horse prior to the barrier strand being released. It was a case of the horse’s manners being poor, Mr McIntyre said.

In fairness, Mr McIntyre said, there were several horses on the front row also displaying poor manners prior to the start, but this did not affect the chances of RANDEL HUSTON P.

Mr White attempted to show on the video replay that the horse was “up in the air” when the barrier was released. It had reared twice, he said. The horse was in the Unruly position for a reason, and it had never “missed away”, he said. He believed that the runners should have been taken out of line and lined up again.

A horse deserves a fair start, he said. The two horses that had played up prior to the start were the fastest to begin.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Committee was clearly of the view that RANDEL HUSTON P was not denied a fair start. It had clearly reared as the barrier strand was released and stood on the mark, losing its chance.  The Committee held that the horse’s poor start was the result of its own poor barrier manners, and not for any other reason that, it could be said, denied the horse a fair start.

CONCLUSION:

The Committee ruled that Horse No. 9 RANDEL HUSTON P was not denied a fair start.