Wanganui JC 15 March 2025 – R2 – Kavish Chowdhoory

Evidence:

Following the running of Race 2, the Respondent, Class A Rider, Mr K Chowdhoory admitted a charge of careless riding, which was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d). The Information alleged that he permitted his mount JAZLENE to shift outwards when not sufficiently clear of QACENTINA, which was checked passing the 300 metres, and forced over extra ground. Mr Chowdhoory confirmed his understanding of the Rule and 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.

Stipendiary Steward Ms K Jillings played the race footage, demonstrating the incident and identifying the horses and Riders involved. Mr Chowdhoory, racing midfield, angled outwards into a legitimate gap. However, he continued to move outwards, forcing Mr Riddell’s mount approximately three horse widths wide.  Mr Goodwin noted that while JAZLENE was having its first start and displayed some greenness, Mr Chowdhoory should have made a greater effort to correct the horse’s line. He also emphasized that Mr Chowdhoory should not have used the whip while the horse was running out. Mr Riddell informed the Stewards, he had called out to Mr Chowdhoory to not ride so loosely.

In response, Mr Chowdhoory stated that JAZLENE was overracing and green.

Decision:

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

Submissions for Penalty:

Mr Goodwin produced Mr Chowdhoory’s riding record, which indicated 6 previous breaches under the Careless Riding Rule in the last 12 months, namely:

29/12/24   10 days

23/11/24    8 days

23/11/24    7 days

15/9/24      5 days

30/6/24      4 days

13/4/24      5 days

The Respondent has had 297 mounts in the past 12 months.

Mr Goodwin said Stewards assessed the level of carelessness to be in the low range. Mr Chowdhoory’s overall record was poor, but over the last 3 months, he had no charges against him.

Mr Chowdhoory explained that JAZLENE, shied away from the whip of Ms Sutherland’s mount, when he came up alongside her. He further stated, that he had been making a concerted effort to improve his riding since accumulating a series of charges at the end of last year. Each raceday he was getting 5-6 rides and he believed his record was improving.

He advised of riding engagements through until March 23rd 2025 and sought a deferment to any proposed suspension.

Reasons for Penalty:

The Adjudicative Committee carefully considered all submissions and assessed the severity of the breach. Head and rear videos showed that Mr Chowdhoory, while angling out for a run, moved significantly wider than necessary, forcing QACENTINA to cover extra ground. Despite the interference, Mr Riddell fortunately finished ahead of Mr Chowdhoory. Given that JAZLENE was green and having her first start, the Adjudicative Committee placed the carelessness at the low end. Mr Chowdhoory’s charge stemmed from his delay in correcting his line of running and his use of the whip, when JAZLENE was moving out.

In accordance with the NZTR Penalty Guide (February 2025), the Adjudicative Committee adopted a 5-day suspension as the starting point.

Mr Chowdhoory’s poor record was identified as a significant aggravating factor, necessitating an uplift from the starting point. The Adjudicative Committee determined this uplift to be 3 days. However, they also noted that Mr Chowdhoory had completed 60 rides since his last careless riding charge, indicating an improvement in his riding. His admission of the breach was also taken into account as a mitigating factor.

After weighing these factors, the Adjudicative Committee imposed a 7-day suspension.

Conclusion:

The Respondent’s request for a deferment is granted and his Licence to ride in races is suspended for a period of 7 days, commencing after racing on March 23rd 2025 and concluding after racing on April 4th 2025.