Waikouaiti RC 15 January 2022 – R9 – DECISIVE

Following the running of Race 9 Ms Williams the Rider of the third placed horse NAMIBIA MISS protested against the second placed horse DECISIVE alleging interference in the middle stages of the run home.

The Judge’s placings were:

1st   12 SEIKRID

2nd   15 DECISIVE

3rd   13 NAMIBIA MISS

4th    5 COUNTRY BOY

The margin between 2nd and 3rd was a neck.

Ms Williams, with reference to the head-on and side-on videos, said that she had suffered interference twice in the home straight. She said she was racing to the inside of Mr Mudhoo and his mount DECISIVE had rolled in on two occasions. She believed had this not occurred she would have beaten DECISIVE and perhaps even the winner, as NAMIBIA MISS had a good turn of foot. She said she had been inconvenienced by the hindquarters of DECISIVE that had come into her running line. She said she had yelled to Mr Mudhoo who had then come out, but he had then rolled in again. She had had to go inside SEIKRID for a run.

Mr Mudhoo said his horse was just cruising and Ms Williams’ horse had not been good enough to take the gap when it presented earlier. He said his horse was lugging in in the straight. However when it had rolled in, he had straightened it on the two occasions straight away. He accepted Ms Williams had changed ground and taken a run to the inside of SEIKRID. He believed DECISIVE had come again near the line.

Mr Davidson commented on the evidence. He said Ms Williams was crowded and had to take a hold in the straight when DECISIVE shifted ground. He said a gap reappeared between DECISIVE and SEIKRID, and again Ms Williams was crowded. She had then taken a run to the inside of SEIKRID. He believed the reason she had chosen to do this was because the leading horse (SEIKRID) had changed ground. The interference on this occasion was not all Mr Mudhoo’s fault. Mr Davidson noted the margin was a head.

Decision

Ms Williams has received interference on two occasions in the run home. DECISIVE has rolled in and come into her running line. On the second occasion, however, SEIKRID has clearly also shifted out and the latter interference to NAMIBIA MISS is primarily due to this fact. Ms Williams, understandably, chose to take a run to the inside of SEIKRID.

The margin between 2nd and 3rd is a neck. The Committee is not satisfied that the interference by DECISIVE (the crowding of NAMIBIA MISS on the first occasion) was severe enough to warrant a change of placings. The horse was placed in restricted room by the inwards movement by DECISIVE and it is difficult to assess the ground NAMIBIA MISS lost as a consequence. NAMIBIA MISS and DECISIVE finished off the race well and DECISIVE was perhaps stronger than NAMIBIA MISS on the line.

The Adjudicative Committee has to be of the opinion that NAMIBIA MISS would have finished ahead of DECISIVE had the interference not occurred. It is not. The protest is dismissed.

Stakes and dividends are to be paid as called by the Judge.