Riccarton Park – Amberley 9 March 2023 – R10 – Jason Laking

BACKGROUND:

Following the running of Race 10, Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Rating 65, the Respondent, Jockey Jason Laking, admitted a charge of careless riding in that, as the Rider of AWATANE in the race, he permitted his mount to shift in when not clear of VICTOR ROUGE (Terry Moseley) which had to be restrained and checked passing the 1400 metres.

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

EVIDENCE:

Stipendiary Steward, Mark Davidson, showed head-on and side-on video replays of the first 300 metres of the 1600 metres race. He had Chief Stipendiary Steward, John Oatham, point out the runners –  AWATANE, ridden by the Respondent, which had started from barrier 10, and VICTOR ROUGE (Terry Moseley), which had drawn barrier 4.

VICTOR ROUGE was slow away, after which Mr Moseley rode it forward to try to make up the lost ground on the inside, Mr Oatham said. He then showed Mr Laking  shift across and place Mr Moseley’s mount in restricted room, near the 1400 metres. Mr Moseley had to check his mount. Mr Oatham then showed on a side-on video replay that Mr Moseley had recovered quite quickly, after being slow away, and was  1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lengths behind Mr Laking at which point Mr Laking was still wide on the track and not clear. Mr Moseley was established about a length back to the inside of Mr Laking, who continued to shift in. He did not actually shift fully into the line of Mr Moseley, but had certainly tightened Mr Moseley, causing him to check, Mr Oatham said. Mr Moseley’s mount had been quite slow away and Mr Laking had attempted to “get there before him”, but Mr Moseley had managed to get up inside the 2 lengths quite quickly. Mr Laking had misjudged that, Mr Oatham submitted.

Mr Laking said that, when he jumped out, he saw Mr Moseley’s mount had missed the jump. He did not wish to be wide and had seen “a bit of a gap” and had gone in. He wanted to get in front of Mr Moseley and had misjudged it, making it “tough” on Mr Moseley, even though Mr Moseley had made up ground quickly, he said.

DECISION:

The charge having been admitted, it is deemed proved.

SUBMISSIONS FOR PENALTY:

Mr Davidson said that the Respondent has two careless riding breaches on his record in the last 12 months – on 19 March 2022 at Trentham (suspended 9 days and fined $300 in a Group 1 Race, low-mid range) and on 30 October 2022 at Ashburton (suspended 4 days, low range).  Mr Davidson said that his record is a good one for a senior rider, who does ride in the North Island from time to time. This breach was slightly below mid-range, he said. Mr Moseley had told Stewards that he had tried to hold his mount back, but the Respondent was never clear. Mr Davidson suggested a starting point of around 6 days, with consideration to be given to his good record and early guilty plea.

The Respondent sought a deferment of suspension until after 18 March, on which date he has riding engagements at Trentham.

REASONS FOR PENALTY:

The Adjudicative Committee assessed the breach as being low-mid level. The starting point in the RIB Thoroughbred Racing Penalty Guide for such a breach is a 6-days suspension. From that starting point, the Adjudicative Committee is able to give a discount for the Respondent’s good record and his admission of the breach. That discount is set at 1 day.

CONCLUSION:

The Respondent’s request for a deferment is granted.

The Respondent, Jockey Jason Laking, is suspended from after racing on 18 March 2023 up to and including 26 March 2002 – 5 national riding days.