Riccarton Park – Canterbury JC 13 August 2022 – R5 – Lee Callaway

BACKGROUND:

Following the running of Race 5, Zilco Open Handicap, the Respondent Jockey, Lee Callaway, admitted a breach of Rule 638(1)(d) in that, as the Rider of SILENT BATTLER in the Race, he rode carelessly in allowing his mount to shift in crowding and checking MIDNIGHT RUNNER (Diego Montes de Oca) and KICK ON (Lily Sutherland) passing the 1100 metres.

The Respondent endorsed the information “I do admit a breach of the rule” and confirmed he understood the Rule and the nature of the charge.

Rule 638(1)(d) provides: A Rider shall not ride a horse in a manner which the Adjudicative Committee considers to be careless.

EVIDENCE:

Chief Stipendiary Steward, John Oatham, had Stipendiary Steward, Mark Davidson, show head-on and side-on videos replays of the incident, approximately 300 metres after the start of the 1400 metres race. Mr Davidson pointed out SILENT BATTLER, ridden by the Respondent, which had drawn gate 7, MIDNIGHT RUNNER (Diego Montes de Oca), drawn 4 and KICK ON (Lily Sutherland), drawn 1.

Mr Davidson showed that the Respondent allowed his runner to shift in, while he still had the other two runners tight on his inside, attempting to get over to the One-out position. Those two runners were placed under pressure for some considerable distance, the best part of 100 metres, before the Respondent relieved the pressure, Mr Davidson said. Miss Sutherland’s mount had been forced to make contact with the running rail, he said.

The Respondent said that he had gone to follow the leader across. At one point he was not sufficiently clear, he said, and the runner inside had been pulling. He had misjudged it and tightened that runner, and did not realise that there was another horse inside that. He admitted that he had put pressure on his inside for too long.

DECISION:

The charge is admitted by the Respondent and is therefore deemed proved.

SUBMISSIONS FOR PENALTY:

Mr Oatham said that the Respondent has three previous breaches of the Careless Riding rule on his record:

6 April 2022 at Ashburton – below mid-level, suspended 6 days;

19 February 2022 at Invercargill – low-level, suspended 5 days; and

2 October 2021 at Riccarton – low-level, suspended 5 days.

This breach Stewards saw as being just below the mid-range. The Respondent was, perhaps, fortunate that the incident was not more severe than it was. The two inside runners had pressure applied for quite some distance, Mr Oatham said.

The Respondent submitted that his record was not a bad one – his last suspension was over 4 months ago, he said.

Mr Oatham told the hearing that, since the most recent suspension, the Respondent has had 96 rides and, in the last 12 months, 297 rides. He submitted that the record could be considered a neutral factor.

The Respondent sought a deferment until after the Oamaru meeting on 19 August.

REASONS FOR PENALTY:

The Committee assessed the breach as being in the low-mid level range, for which the NZTR Revised Penalty Guidelines suggest a starting point of a 6-day suspension.

The Committee regarded the Respondent’s record as being a neutral factor. We are able to give him a discount of 1 day for his admission of the breach. The result is a 5 national riding days suspension.

CONCLUSION – PENALTY:

The Respondent’s application for a deferment is granted. His Class A Jockey’s Licence is suspended for 5 national riding days from 20 August to 27 August 2022, both dates inclusive.