Related Items

02 Dec 2020
Racing-Rotorua - R4

Related Decisions

16 Dec 2020
Counties RC 16 December 2020 - R 5 - Chair, Mr B J Scott
11 Dec 2020
R Tauranga 11 December 2020 - R 3 - Chair, Mr B J Scott
11 Dec 2020
R Tauranga 11 December 2020 - R 2 - Chair, Mr B J Scott

View all

R Rotorua 2 December 2020 - R 4 - Chair, Mr B J Scott

Created on 17 December 2020

Rules:

Rule 638(1)(d)

Committee:

BScott (chair)

Name(s):

Mr B May - Licensed Jockey and Rider of NONAAME
Mr A Dooley - Stipendiary Steward

Informant

Mr A Coles - Stipendiary Steward

Information Number

A13827

Plea:

Admitted

Charge:

Careless riding

Evidence:

Following the running of the VANDYKS 1215 an Information was lodged by Stipendiary Steward Mr A Coles against Class A Jockey Mr B May alleging that Mr May as the Rider of NONAAME directed his mount inwards near the 1100 metres mark when not clear of IMAGE OF YOU (Rider Ms D Johnson) which was crowded and hampered losing ground.

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

Mr May was present at the Hearing and he acknowledged that he understood the Rule and that he admitted the breach.

Stipendiary Steward Mr A Dooley demonstrated the incident by use of the race films. He identified Mr May's mount shortly after the start and he also identified Ms Johnson's mount on his inside. Mr May drew the outside gate. Shortly after the start both Mr May and Ms Johnson were moving inwards in an attempt to get a better position. The problem that occurred however was that Mr May moved in abruptly and sharply and caused Ms Johnson's horse to be pushed further inwards. At no stage was Mr May the required distance clear of Ms Johnson and it was fortunate that as an experienced horsewoman she was able to restrain her horse and ease out of the situation. Mr May continued on with his riding and his inwards movement with complete disregard for the Jockeys and horses inside him.

Mr Dooley showed a further incident in the race at the 1000 metres mark when Mr May attempted to take a gap that simply wasn't there and he squeezed up 2 horses inside him.

Mr May said that in respect to the incident that he was charged with that his instructions were to push up and get a good position for his horse. Mr May acknowledged that his movement was a bit too strong. He further said that he had no intention of going ahead of Ms Johnson but he acknowledged that because of his movement she had to check.

Decision:

The breach is admitted and therefore the charge is proved.

Submission For Penalty:

Mr Coles said that Mr May had 2 breaches of the Rule in recent months. The first was on the 26th of August 2020 at Rotorua for which he received a 3 day suspension and the second was on the 19th of September 2020 for which he received a 4 day suspension.

Mr Coles said that in respect to this incident it was high end carelessness. He said that Mr May angled his horse inwards and kept riding it forward and inwards without any regard for the horses and Riders inside him. He said that Ms Johnson lost at least 2 lengths because of the interference.

Mr May had nothing further to add.

Reasons For Penalty:

The race films show the incident clearly and they do not paint a pretty picture. They show Mr May from the outside gate moving inwards sharply and in doing so he caused IMAGE OF YOU to be crowded and hampered. It was only because of Ms Johnson's experience that a more serious incident did not occur. Mr May seemed to be focused on getting into a good position but he did so in complete disregard for the horses and Jockeys inside him. He just simply continued to ride forwards and inwards.

The Committee does not having any difficulty in finding that the actions of Mr May constituted high end carelessness.

Mr May has admitted the breach but in the Committee's view that was inevitable given the compelling film evidence. The Committee also takes the view that Mr May has a poor record given that he has 2 recent breaches under this Rule.

The starting point penalty in the JCA Guidelines is a suspension of Licence for 10 National Riding Days. There are no mitigating factors and the Committee believes that an uplift of the penalty to 12 National Riding Days is appropriate.

Mr May was given the option of a deferment of suspension and he has chosen to take the suspension immediately.

In setting the penalty the Committee is mindul of the fact that Riders have already been declared for the meetings at New Plymouth on 3 December, Canterbury Racing on 4 December and Ellerslie and Wellington on 5 December. These meetings can therefore not be taken into account in setting Mr May's suspension.

Penalty:

Mr May's Riders Licence is hereby suspended from the conclusion of racing today up to the conclusion of racing on the 27th of December 2020. The Committee calculates that to be 12 National Riding Days being:-

Hastings, 9th December

Ellerslie, 10th December

Tauranga, 11th December

Te Rapa/Awapuni/Invercargill, 12th December

Pukekohe, 16th December

Ashburton, 17th December

Otaki, 18th December

Te Rapa/Awapuni, 19 December

Gore, 20th December

Matamata 23rd December

Ellerslie, 26th December

New Plymouth 27th December

The aforementioned meetings on 3,4,5 December are not taken into account.