Sports

I was saying the chiefs suggestion that you disqualify everyone,whether it be accidental or not ,would be a consistent outcome. I was not agreeing with the chiefs suggestion,quite the opposite. So yes gammalite ,i agree with your point that every case is different. i actually referenced the tasmanian race you refer to and suggested someone put a video up of it to show an example of hocking. i did that when i started the topic about the moran drive,on another thread, about 2 weeks ago. If you saw the video of that,there is no way anyone could ever compare what moran did to what the tasmainain driver did. i also have referenced the queensland race from last year and suggested that video be put up. again that was an example of hocking ,but it could only be compared to the tasmanian driver in that he hocked for 3 strides,nothing anywhere near as bad as the tasmanian driver. And of course,as i've said several times now,that queensland driver got off on appeal ,despite it being acknowledged that he made contact 3 times. you see the appeal judges found it may have been accidental. Just like at hawera at the weekend. anyway,i did like the photos of the galahs you posted. and i could see your little dogs face in the side mirror watching them. I enjoy seeing those type of posts. it reminds me of when we  had a wonderful wee dog. He was like a son in a lot of ways. keep up the good work.

Of the tracks where the meetings have been abandoned I'm surprised Matamata was one. I guess the jockeys have been given a directive around how they deal with riding or not riding.  Possibly a unique situation where jockeys are self employed but also in the jockeys room are apprentices who work for an employer.

Bad luck if you ride a back runner on an "off" day.

exactly. Well it's Not a consistent thing Mr Galah. Every case is different , so therefore gets different penalties. Here's a famous case from The Tasmanian Cup not that long ago . Very famous as the all clear was given , so Punters were paid , before the Foul driving was recognized lol 🤣 It Not only involves the dreaded kicking the horses legs but the dreaded Whip use rules as well.. The horse also shifted out in the home straight causing other drivers to protest.  This Just Shows HOW HARD it is Mr Galah, to police the rules with what the drivers are doing in a race. (drivers on the roads are even worse lol 😅) . here's the extract with some interesting bits . Space> Stewards Panel: Ray Murrihy, Steven Shinn (Advisor), Ben Plunkett (Advisor) Name: Rhys Nicholson Track/Race: Elwick - 2021 Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup Final – Race 7 Date: 13th March 2021 Rule no: AHRR 174 (1) Where a driver is found guilty of an offence under a rule contained in part 9 and the offence relates to the way in which the driver has driven or behaved or controlled or failed to control the driver’s horse at the start or during a race, the Stewards in relation to the race in which the offence occurred may give the driver’s horse a lower placing or disqualify it for such period they think fit. (2) A disqualification under sub rule (1) or alteration of placings does not affect settlement of bets or wagers. Inquiry Decision: BULLYS DELIGHT is relegated from its first (1st) placing to fourteenth (14th) placing in the Ladbroke’s Tasmanian Pacing Cup Final conducted at Ladbrokes Park, Elwick on the 13th March 2021. FACTS: On 13th March 2021, the horse BULLYS DELIGHT contested and finished in first placing in the $75,000 Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup Final (the Race) over 2579 metres, conducted at Ladbrokes Park, Elwick, Tasmania. BULLYS DELIGHT was a 6-year-old gelding bred and raced in partnership by Mr Jim Kefalas and Mr Phillip Winder. The horse was trained by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) licensed trainer Mr John Nicholson and was driven by his son Mr Rhys Nicholson who is also a trainer/driver licensed by HRV. All parties under the Australian Harness Racing Rules (the Rules) and more specifically AHRR 299 are deemed to have knowledge of and are bound by the Rules. Subsequent to the finish of the Race and before the declaration of the all-clear Mr Heath Woods driver of second placed THE SHALLOWS and Mr Conor Crook, driver of third placed LIP READER lodged protests against BULLYS DELIGHT being declared the winner on each of three grounds in the home straight, namely: (1) Interference by BULLYS DELIGHT shifting out, (2) Mr Rhys Nicholson dropping his right foot from the sulky stirrup and contacting the offside hind leg of BULLYS DELIGHT on numerous occasions (a practice known as hocking) and (3) Mr Rhys R Nicholson utilising his whip on a large number of occasions with more than a wrist only flicking motion, generating force from his shoulder and elbow. The Stewards dismissed all protests when they found: • Ground (1) Although BULLYS DELIGHT shifted out some distance in the run to the line the interference was minimal. Taking into account the finishing margins of 4.6m x 6.4m they could not be satisfied that had the interference not occurred the placings would have been affected. Grounds (2) & (3) Whilst finding that Mr Rhys Nicholson had “hocked” BULLYS DELIGHT on numerous occasions and had utilised his whip on numerous occasions outside what is prescribed under the Rules, they could not be comfortably satisfied that had this not occurred the placings would have changed. The all clear was given on the judge’s placings, however all parties were notified that an inquiry would be conducted as to whether AHRR 174(1) should be invoked. Later that night and following the final race on the programme Mr Rhys Nicholson pleaded guilty to two Stewards charges concerning his driving or behaviour in the home straight on the final occasion in the Race namely: • Charge (1): Under AHRR 168(1)(e) of improper driving in that he dropped his right foot from the sulky stirrup and deliberately made contact with the hind leg of BULLYS DELIGHT (hocking) on numerous occasions. • Charge (2): Under AHRR156(2)(a) of utilising his whip with more than a wrist only flicking motion whilst engaging force from the elbow and shoulder as well as failing to maintain a rein in each hand. Penalties: In determining the penalty Stewards took into account that the breaches occurred in a feature race, Mr Rhys Nicholson’s driving record and what they determined as his blatant disregard for the rules in both instances. • Charge (1) $2,000 fine plus drivers licence suspension of 4 race dates. • Charge (2) $1,000 fine plus drivers licence suspension of 8 race dates. No appeals have been lodged and the suspensions were ordered to be served cumulatively.

Talented stayer Lombardi (NZ) (Verdi) made a stylish return in his new preparation on Wednesday at Riccarton Park, putting away a tidy field in the Rangiora Equine Veterinary Services (1600m).  The son of Verdi recorded a pair of victories through the spring and placed in the Listed Sothy’s Spring Classic (2000m) before racing ungenerously and fading in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m).  His trainer and co-owner Bruce Smith allowed the gelding some time in the paddock, before assembling a plan to get to the Listed Positive Signs and Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m), kicking off in the midweek contest.  Richard Stomper (NZ) (El Roca) and Sprocket Rocket (NZ) (What’s The Story) battled for favouritism, with the former closing on top at $3, but his hopes were dwindled at the start when missing away by four lengths. Lombardi had also been a stride slow, but soon made up ground on the inside and settled into a rhythm for jockey Leah Hemi.  Tide And Time (NZ) (Time Test) went straight to the lead and was tested first by Fellini (NZ) (Belardo), but by the 200m, Lombardi had swallowed up the leaders and began to draw away, powering through the line to score by 1-1/4 lengths. Richard Stomper made up a huge amount of ground to finish second ahead of Sprocket Rocket.  Central Districts-based Hemi has been aboard the six-year-old in 11 of his 28 starts and praised the training effort of Smith.  “It was a little bit uncharacteristic for him to pull in the Cup, but he’s had a bit of time away and Bruce has got him really on target,” she said.  “He just feels amazing, this horse just keeps improving. Bruce knows what he’s doing, I don’t ever question him and he tells me to get on and away I go. He’s got him down pact.  “He’s definitely one of them (her favourite horses).”  With the Wingatui feature now firmly in his sights, Smith plans to take Lombardi to the Ashburton meeting on February 23, before taking on the $170,000 feature a week later.  “He’s a nice horse, this is a stepping stone to where I’m going with him and he’s come back bigger and stronger,” Smith said. “We got a few things wrong last year, but I know how good he is, I think he’s a very nice horse.  “He had a month and a half out at the owner’s place and he’s come back in, he hasn’t had a big prep just six or eight weeks at the max. He’s just jogged around at home.  “He’ll go to Ashburton next and his long-term goal is the Dunedin Gold Cup and St Leger.  “I’m going to have a bit of fun.”  Now a winner of five races, Lombardi has earned more than $130,000 for Smith and the remainder of his ownership group, which includes breeder Angela Hutchinson. He was the first foal out of her Kingmaker mare Queen’s Pal, a full-sister to stakes performer Kings Pal.   Hemi was back in the winner’s circle at short notice, winning the C S Stevens Memorial Banks Peninsula Cup (1100m) aboard South Of Houston.   The Terri Rae-trained mare was coming out of the Listed Timaru Stakes (1200m) last start, and after settling in behind the speed early, she found the gap on the rail in the straight and held off La Bella Nera (NZ) (Sweynesse) to win by just shy of a length.   “She drew one and there was quite a lot of speed outside us, so it was quite nice to get in the trail there,” Hemi said.   “It took her a few strides to really come up underneath me, but when she got balanced up, she hit the line really nicely.”   Owned by Monovale Holdings, South Of Houston has won five of her 18, and twice since joining Rae’s stable in the spring. View the full article