Waikato TR 29 May 2024 – R5 – Triston Moodley

Evidence:

Following the running of Race 5, Apprentice Rider Mr T Moodley (assisted by Mr N Harris) admitted a charge of Careless Riding in that he permitted his mount (PONTE VECCHIO) to shift inwards when insufficiently clear of HANALEI, which was forced in onto DRIFTIN, which resulted in PAX MUNDI having to be checked off heels, losing ground near the 700 metres.

Mr Moodley 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, Senior Stipendiary Steward B Jones demonstrated the incident and identified the horses and Riders concerned.

Senior Stipendiary Steward B Jones said that approaching the 700m metre mark, PONTE VECCHIO (T Moodley) was racing in a 4-wide position.  He angled inwards into a 3-wide position when not clear of the horse on his inner, HANALEI (V Colgan) and as a result, HANALEI was forced onto DRIFTIN (N Parmar), which caused PAX MUNDI to check. Mr Jones pointed out that PAX MUNDI lost considerable ground as a result of the check.

Mr Jones added that although Mr Moodley only shifted in slightly, he was never sufficiently clear of Mr Colgan’s mount – estimated to be about half a length clear.

In response, Mr Moodley said he was not aware of the horses to his inside and now realises there was clearly not enough room.

Mr Harris said that Mr Moodley put pressure on the other Riders as a result of his inwards shift.

Decision:

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

Submissions for Penalty:

Stipendiary Steward Mr Dooley produced Mr Moodley’s riding record which indicated 6 previous breaches under the Careless Riding Rule in the last 12 months, from 274 race rides.  He said that the most recent breach occurred on 11 February 2024 and in the subsequent 3 ½ months, he has had a clear record under the Rule.

Mr Dooley said Stewards assessed the level of carelessness to be in the mid-range.

The Respondent sought a deferment to any proposed suspension until after racing on 8 June 2024. He had nothing to add in terms of penalty.

Mr Harris advised that Mr Moodley shifted into a new Stable during the last 12 months and his riding had improved and recently he has been sought after as a Rider and has enjoyed considerable success.

Reasons for Penalty:

After considering all submissions, the Adjudicative Committee determined the Respondent’s carelessness to be in the mid-range and adopted a 7-day (suspension) as the starting point.

The available films clearly established that Mr Moodley has shifted ground when not clear of runners on his inside.  Pressure was firstly placed onto Mr Colgan’s mount, and the consequences were that Mr Weatherley had to take a strong hold of PAX MUNDI, who after being checked, lost between 2 or 3 lengths.

Notwithstanding that Mr Moodley has had a clear record over the past 3 ½ months, it has to be said that his record over the past 12 months is poor.  A 1 day reduction was afforded to Mr Moodley for his admission of the breach.

After consideration of the above factors, a 6-day suspension was imposed. This was done so with the knowledge that Mr Moodley is also facing another charge arising from the same race, which will inevitably result in a further suspension.

Conclusion:

Mr Moodley’s request for a deferment is granted and his Licence to ride in races is suspended for a period of 6 days, commencing after racing on 8 June 2024 and concluding after racing on 20 June 2024.