Wellington RC 4 January 2025 – R7 – Kevin Stott

Evidence:

Following the running of Race 7, the Group 1 TAB Telegraph, the Respondent Class A Rider Mr K Stott admitted a charge of careless riding, which was filed pursuant to Rule 638(1)(d).  The Information alleged that K Stott (GRAIL SEEKER) allowed his mount to shift inwards over the concluding stages when not sufficiently clear of NAVIGATOR (R Elliot), which was hampered.

The Respondent 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, Stipendiary Stewards demonstrated the incident and identified the horses and Riders concerned.

Mr Goodwin said that in the home straight, Mr Stott allowed his mount to shift inwards, while under a hard ride. After using his stick a couple of times, GRAIL SEEKER shifted in onto NAVIGATOR, causing interference to that runner, and forcing Mr Elliot to take evasive action. NAVIGATOR had been racing a little ungenerously prior to the incident. Mr Goodwin maintained that Mr Stott should have straightened sooner than he did. He also said that NAVIGATOR ran third, and Mr Elliot had told Stewards he believed have would have run 2nd, if GRAIL SEEKER hadn’t moved in on him.

In response, Mr Stott explained that while mounting his run, he used the whip 3-4 times and GRAIL SEEKER did not move off a straight line. It wasn’t until she went clear (ahead) of NAVIGATOR, and he used his whip again, that she moved inwards. As soon as Mr Stott realised GRAIL SEEKER had moved in, he put his hands back on the reins and corrected her line of running. From that point on, he did not use the whip again. He further noted that at high speeds, a horse can cover significant ground in the time it takes for a Jockey to react.

Decision:

As Mr Stott admitted the breach, the Adjudicative Committee finds the breach proved.

Submissions for Penalty:

Stipendiary Steward Mr Goodwin produced Mr Stott’s riding record, which indicated 1 previous breach under the Careless Riding Rule since arriving in New Zealand. He received a 3 week suspension in November 2024.

Mr Stott has had 92 mounts in New Zealand. Stewards assessed the level of carelessness to be below mid-range.

Mr Stott asked the Adjudicative Committee to consider his good record, advising that in England, he had incurred only 2 careless riding breaches over 2 years. He did not seek deferment to any proposed suspension.

Reasons for Penalty:

After considering all submissions, the Adjudicative Committee determined Mr Stott’s carelessness to be in the low range and adopted a 5 -day suspension as the starting point, in accordance with the NZTR Penalty Guide as of March 2024.

The Adjudicative Committee reviewed all films to assess the incident, with the head-on and rear-views being most useful. GRAIL SEEKER finished strongly, winning the race convincingly. Mr Stott was riding vigorously, using the whip while maintaining a straight line. The 2-3 horse-width inward shift occurred only after GRAIL SEEKER drew ahead of NAVIGATOR. Mr Stott explained that his mount gave no prior indication of shifting inwards, and he corrected as promptly as possible, given a Rider’s reaction time. Due to the Group 1 status of the race, the Adjudicative Committee applied a 3-day uplift, as per Rule 920(2), which allows consideration of race status, stake money, and consequences.

The Penalty Guide stipulates fines as a percentage of the Jockey’s stake share for Black Type Races. Mr Stott’s winning share was $15,812. The Adjudicative Committee deemed a 25% penalty appropriate, in addition to the suspension. Mr Stott’s riding record and prompt admission of the breach, were considered mitigating factors, resulting in a 1-day reduction.

Conclusion:

Mr Stott’s Licence to ride in races is suspended for a period of 7 days, commencing after racing today, January 4th 2025, and concluding after racing on January 12th 2025. In addition, a $4,000 fine (rounded slightly for administrative convenience) is added.