Chief Stipe

I don't agree with the extreme conspiracy theories on the Pzifer vaccine however I see those that spruiked the vaccines are modifying their narrative once again. "There will be a rise in heart health issues in coming years due to long Covid." What about the evidence that the vaccine is causing the same issues? I'm happy to be a part of the unvaccinated control group. I suspect I had Covid in April or May 2020 but was refused a test then! If as the experts say over a million New Zealanders have had Omicron then I must be a lucky bastard. Except when it comes to backing race horses!

Can you explain your conspiracy on AIDS? I can't see the connection to either the vaccine or Covid.

Geez @Brodie what time did you open your home bar this afternoon?

The word is that the horses returned clear tests. I guess this is going to be another case of "in possession of a dangerous weapon" i.e. a syringe.

I'm more interested in the timeliness of the charges. He was charged for three races in a row. Was he spoken to after the first race in which he was charged? The second? The third? Was he coached at any stage on the day? Or are the charges arising from a delayed review of the HD video from the off course bunker?

But if you look at the Drivers hands and reins before he handed up Glenthorne was struggling to hold its position. Better to hand up to a stablemate with a round to go than fight each other.

@Ludwig where did you see reported that Brad Williamson got 8 days for the drive? I can't find the decision on the RIB website.

Southland RC 19 February 2022 – Races 7, 8 and 9 (heard 5 March 2022 at Wingatui) – Savish Khetoo ID: RIB7860 Respondent(s): Savish Khetoo - Apprentice Jockey Applicant: Miss Veronica Algar, Stipendiary Steward Adjudicators: Geoff Hall Persons Present: Kelvin Tyler, Trainer; David Walsh, Apprentice Mentor Information Number: No A16521, A16522, A16523 Decision Type: Adjudicative Decision Charge: Excessive use of the whip Rule(s): 638(3)(g)(i); 638(3)(g)(ii) Plea: Admitted Stewards Report Results Code: Thoroughbred Race Date: 19/02/2022 Race Club: Southland Racing Club Race Location: Ascot Park Raceway - 29 Findlay Road, Ascot, Invercargill, 9810 Race Number: R7 Hearing Date: 05/03/2022 Hearing Location: Dunedin Outcome: Proved Penalty: Apprentice Jockey Savish Khetoo is fined $250; suspended for 8 days Mr Khetoo has admitted three breaches of the Whip Rules arising out of the running of three races at the Southland Racing Club on Saturday, 19 February 2022. The charges were heard together. The Adjudicative Committee viewed the three races in question. Mr Khetoo can be seen to strike his mount CARLOS when racing near the rear of the field in Race 7 with his arm raised above shoulder height. He has struck his mounts KILOWATT and TYLER EIGHT in Races 8 and 9 six times before the 100 metres. Miss Algar stated that the Respondent had started using the whip quite early in the latter two races but on each occasion once he reached the 100 metres, he had stopped striking the horse. She said it appeared to be errors of judgment. She said he had previously been warned on one occasion about raising the whip above shoulder height. She added that Mr Khetoo had always been polite and respectful in the room. Mr Tyler explained that the Respondent gets “mixed up” when riding at Invercargill due to the need to be handy on straightening for the run home. It was a tight bend and there was a front runner’s bias on the day. He said Mr Khetoo just starts using the whip too soon and he needs to go hands and heels. Mr Walsh agreed with Mr Tyler’s comments with respect to the Invercargill track and the need to be urging horses by the 600 metres. He submitted that as the Respondent was an Apprentice and would only receive half the riding fee, the fine should also be halved. He said he had made this same submission to the Adjudicative Committee at Riverton on New Year’s day, and it had been accepted. Mr Walsh also stated that he was assisting Mr Khetoo and had arranged for him to be seen by a prominent sports psychologist. With Covid, he had not been able to hold Apprentice Schools. He believed that Mr Khetoo did not cope well with the pressure of riding on the bigger days and perhaps less rides on such days would be an option. The breaches themselves, he said, were low end. Mr Khetoo said he was receiving assistance. He did not know why he had breached the Whip Rule on the day. He had previously been riding “okay”. Mr Tyler added the Respondent not riding at Invercargill or on feature days were options that he would consider. Mr Khetoo has admitted the breaches, so they are found to be proved. Miss Algar stated that the Respondent had one previous breach of the Rule. On that occasion it was seven strikes, and the penalty was a five-day suspension. The starting points were a $500 fine and five days’ suspension. She said the Respondent had a quite a good record and she was sure he would learn from Mr Tyler and Mr Walsh. Mr Walsh said the penalty should be one that fitted the fact the breaches were low end. Mr Tyler agreed with Mr Walsh’s comments. Mr Khetoo asked that any fine be a little as was appropriate as he would have difficulty in paying a fine. Mr Khetoo’s breaches are all low end. The strikes were well spaced. Mr Khetoo has simply used the whip too soon and on the other occasion raised his whip too high. The penalties are imposed under the September 2021 Penalty Guidelines, which applied at the time. The starting points in the Guidelines in effect from 1 March this year have monetary starting points for 2nd and 3rd breaches. The Respondent is not in a financial position to be able to pay substantial fines. Mr Khetoo is currently suspended for an unrelated breach that occurred at the very same meeting. The totality of the penalties is a relevant consideration. It is not appropriate that cumulative penalties at the starting point for each breach be imposed. While deterrence is important in this context when regard is had to animal welfare concerns, so too is Mr Kheeto’s rehabilitation. Both Mr Tyler and Mr Walsh say he is a good listener and is willing to learn. Mr Khetoo is fined the sum of $250 for the first breach. He is suspended for four national riding days for each of the two further breaches. The first is from the conclusion of racing today, 5 March 2022, until the conclusion of racing on 12 March 2022, and the second from the conclusion of racing on 12 March until the conclusion of racing on 19 March 2022. He is thus able to ride at Wingatui on the 21st.

Why?

@the galah has made many posts inferring that there is PED cheating occurring in NZ. @Enteebee has done the same - more so behind a private forum. @Thomass often posted about the inconsistency in TCO2 testing between Gallops vs Harness and North vs South Island. Now no one is questioning that Wigg broke the rules and should have received a penalty. However there are widely different views on what that penalty should have been. I tend to agree with the view that her misdemeanour was at a very low end of the scale and her punishment has been disproportionate. She didn't inject the horse with a needle, she didn't tube the horse and she didn't administer a PED. She used a syringe to administer Turmeric, Black Pepper and Glucose. If it wasn't so expensive to do so if I were her I would appeal the penalty. The fact is this episode has done nothing to quell the rumours about widespread PED use. In this case the RIB have shown serious flaws in their procedures - it is apparent their focus is on the kill rather than doing their job competently, cost effectively and efficiently. "YES, we got you Wigg! We found you using a syringe!"......woops we forgot to test the blood for TCO2 levels. Woops we didn't test what was in the syringe.... With regard to the latter my understanding is if it wasn't for Leo Molloy's insistence then the RIB wouldn't have done any testing of the contents of the syringe. The reason being they had their evidence to charge using the catch-all rule and didn't want to use any budget to test in the Lab! Now that is another area for investigation - if the Lab is owned and funded by the RIB why are they reluctant to use it and why does it cost so much? Wigg's costs of defence were magnified significantly by forcing the RIB to test - who then passed as much of the costs as they could onto her. Yet @Gammalite/ @the galah you are comfortable that this case does something to encourage a positive view of integrity in the industry? Are you really comfortable that it took someone like Molloy to prove that there were no PED's administered? But some rules are daft. For example they are lowering the speed limit on ALL Northland roads from 100km/hr to 80km/hr. Why? Because speeding kills? NO - because speed on shit roads with crap drivers in crap cars kills. So do they fix the roads? Yeah Na! When the Government through their agencies e.g. the Police enforce the road speed rules they have a limited budget. They don't tail every car driver - too costly. They certainly don't wait for a call from an informant to say that Jill at 104 Bogan Road drives too fast and that she should be raided. No they target problem areas and use technology to control the speed limit. The fundamental basis to my argument is that the RIB are not effectively nor efficiently using their limited resources and science to improve integrity around the suspected use of PED's. BTW I don't believe there is widespread use of PED's in the industry. How many extra TCO2 tests, out of competition testing, pre-race and post race swabbing could have been funded with the millions spent on this old school hiding in hedges stuff? The millions spent on legal fees? Even the 10's of thousands of dollars spent on catching and convicting Wigg for using a syringe (common tool used daily in a stable) to orally administer Turmeric, Black Pepper and Glucose.

I'm not sure if there is anything to see here. Glenthorne was being tapped up and on a loose rein to hold its position when challenged. Then handed up when he saw it was Wild Card. Got the perfect trail and when showed the passing lane wasn't quick enough to pass the Wild Card. As for "showing more vigour" in the straight - that's a problem with the whip rules - you can't show any vigour!!!! Imagine what punters would say if whips were banned! In that case Glenthorne probably wouldn't have handed up and then we would have seen a speed duel and one or both drivers fined and/or disqualified.

@Gammalite why do you persist in NOT debating the real issues here? @the galah is the same. You are both old school Trainers/Drivers. Surely we can use science to get past Stipes hiding in hedges and enforcing dumb ass rules that hide their incompetence? The reality is some Trainers will still be syringing Turmeric and Black Pepper on raceday purely because they have far more sophistication in monitoring the arrival on their properties of strangers wearing black suits, fluro vests and flak jackets. The Wigg conviction has done NOTHING to improve the integrity of harness racing. Nor does the no syringing on raceday rule. What it has been is a costly exercise that has DONE NOTHING to either improve integrity or identify and eliminate PED use in racing. The cost expended would have been better spent on improving and increasing the number of out of racing tests, pre-race testing and post race swabbing. Why has the RIB invested millions and millions of dollars in a testing laboratory (when they could have sub-contracted some testing) and then fail to use it in a case like the Wigg case? Should the RIB invest millions and millions more in their Testing Lab?

Well it isn't that obvious is it? Remind me again - what match fixing charges was he convicted of?

Road rules are a classic. If speed limits were enforced then every car would be speed limited at manufacture. The point is this Rule is farcical. As I said earlier no one is questioning the fact that Wigg was caught under the rule. However it is head in the sand material to not debate the efficacy of the rule, its effectiveness and efficiency. Is it a poor rule that needs review? Is it a rule that encourages incompetence? We see a glaring example of that in the Wigg case. Could limited resources be better directed elsewhere in achieving the goal of PED free racing? Those who suggest that Wigg was attempting to gain an advantage by using Turmeric and Black Pepper are in la la land and a broadening of the term performance enhancing beyond what is practical. Indeed if one broadened the definition to the extent some of you are then the health and welfare of racehorse would be in jeopardy. For example if Tumeric and Black Pepper are performance enhancing then administering orally via a spoon should be banned as well as adding to the feed bin. Hell why not ban water and feed on raceday as they are performance enhancing by broad definition. The fact is the RIB mounted an expensive operation, found nothing in terms of PED's, failed to do standard testing and had to fall back on a catch all Rule.

Your comment dripped with sanctimony (unless of course your were genuine in your sentiment) and now that I've thought about it hypocrisy. You haven't been as compassionate about other recent cases e.g. Anderson. Will you say the same for Cam Jones?

How to deworm your horse using Ivermectin.

What a sanctimonious comment!

The rule MAY be necessary but it definitely ISN'T effective or efficient in its application. It fails the effective and efficient tests on a number of grounds. It relies on third party informants to alert authorities to a possible breach This is open to abuse by those in the industry that have a snitch for whatever reason. No doubt it leads to a wealth of false information that must be reviewed and acted on in some way. That results in more costs for little return; Any resultant action has a high cost as it involves the diversion of a large number of RIB staff to "raid" the suspect stable. The resources required versus those available means that on any one race day only one stable in a region can be raided on race day. What about the other stables?; The objective is to eliminate the use of illegal Performance Enhancing Drugs that give an unfair advantage to those using them and or may be detrimental to animal health. The most cost effective and efficient means of doing that is via testing. In the Wigg case they were so focused on finding a syringe that they stuffed up the testing! There in lies a big problem. The rule is an inefficient catch all that encourages incompetence. Trainers and Vets using tubing for the administration of medication and other animal health products on a regular basis. It ISN'T illegal outside race day. The irony is if a horse is suffering heat stress and or severe lactic acid build up after a race the remedy is to tube them as quickly as possible! The RIB is extremely strapped for funding. Old school methods of investigation and policing are costly. The RIB should be directing their limited resources to those methods that are most cost effective. Finding someone giving Turmeric and Black Pepper to a horse on race day looks farcical especially when they stuff up the testing. It is Keystone Cops at its worst! Note in this case if it wasn't for the requests of Molloy testing wouldn't have occurred. Why? As it is they passed on as much of the requested testing costs as they could on to Wigg. Now that is another debate that has two sides. The RIB side is that under Rule 1004 we had Wigg nailed and we didn't have to test what it was that she was administering. When they were forced to do the testing it is inferred in the decision that it was too late for TCO2 levels to be checked. Wigg was expected to take the cheaper option and plead guilty on the syringe administration WITHOUT any investigation into what was being administered. It should also be noted that the horses would not have returned positives to illegal drugs if they had been tested. Turmeric and Black Pepper are not illegal and they should never be. The Rule has been around for decades. It hasn't stopped people contravening it. You have no evidence that "the playing field is more level". Your inference is that using a syringe to administer the legal substances of Turmeric and Black Pepper is an advantage to those doing it. Meanwhile bigger issues of animal health and welfare are looming. Some "wokesters" are arguing that products that reduce inflammation and repair tissues, cartilage and bone damage in humans shouldn't be used in horses because it gives those using them an advantage!

Yes I picked that up. It is extremely doubtful that the level of raised pH in the paste would have been sufficient to raise the blood pH of the horses. It would have been a simple calculation to work out if the amount present in the paste by volume would indeed raise the levels. Irrelevant anyway when TCO2 levels weren't tested. Seems they mucked up that part of the sampling hence that charge being dropped. Contrary to what you are saying I don't think anyone posting here condones Wigg's actions. However many are of the opinion that the rule is not a good one.

Doesn't necessarily mean it was an alkalising agent nor of sufficient quantity to elevate the pH of the horses blood. Irrelevant anyway when TCO2 levels weren't tested. Seems they mucked up that part of the sampling in any case.

Probably not as the substance wasn't a prohibited substance and Rule 1004 doesn't mention spoons.

There seemed to be a lot more withdrawals than normal. 36 out of 216 lots. Is that due to the later sale date? Did some of those get sold overseas in other sales or directly?

Million Dollar Moment on Day One 7 March 2022 Lot 161 (Savabeel x Chandelier) was purchased for $1,000,000 by Kacy Fogden. New Zealand Bloodstock saw an exhilarating start to its 96th National Yearling Sales Series, with a strong buying bench welcomed both on the grounds and online, at the Karaka Sales Centre. At the close of trading for the opening session of Book 1 at Karaka 2022, 126 yearlings sold for a total turnover of $20,042,500, with most key Sale indicators climbing significantly on 2021’s results. Day One saw an 18% increase in total aggregate, while the average increased by 22% and the median climbed significantly by 25%. NZB’s Director of Sales, Danny Rolston, was pleased with the increase in statistics. “To have nearly every statistic up is fantastic, we would like a higher clearance rate obviously, but the turnover has been great and the push on the proven sires was there.” “We have seen a really good day for the New Zealand breeding and racing industry. A million dollars is great, we don’t get a million dollar yearling every year and Savabeel has done that for us this year. “The confidence level is really high and once the lots get above $400,000 or $500,000, what it takes is competition. You certainly need people to value them that highly, which is what we saw. “A lot of the Australian-based New Zealanders that have come home have been so strong today. It was a huge advantage to have them here and is great to have that flavour added back into the Sale. This, coupled with the strength of our domestic buying bench, sees us anticipate another great five days of trading,” Rolston said. The highlight on day one came during the afternoon, when Lot 161, a full brother to Group One-winner Mo’unga (NZ) was knocked down for $1,000,000 to Kacy Fogden on behalf of Mr T Fung and Annabel Neasham Racing. The colt by New Zealand’s Champion sire Savabeel is out of prominent Waikato Stud broodmare Chandelier. Fogden, who was in a bidding dual against New Zealand industry titan David Ellis to secure the colt, commented on the monumental purchase. “It helps when you have a nice judge underbidding, but it probably isn’t a match I would like to do again in a hurry.” ”I think with Aquis owning Mo’unga he’s obviously a pretty special horse to us. We were prepared for it, we would have liked him to be not as much, but that is the colt he is, he’s a quality colt so you’ve got to buy the one you want.” “We love New Zealand, obviously I’m a little bit biased but it’s a beautiful Sale to come to and the stock is always fantastic. There’s horses that come out of here and perform on the world stage so we love it,” she said. Kiwi expat Andrew Williams, in partnership with trainer Andrew Forsman and agent Bevan Smith, purchased the second highlight lot late in the session, after securing Lot 217 for $600,000 from Blandford Lodge’s draft. Lot 217 (Snitzel x Eleonora) was purchased for $600,000 by Andrew Williams, Andrew Forsman and Bevan Smith. The filly by Snitzel out of Group One placed and Group Three-winning mare Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi) heralds from Sir Peter Vela’s blue-blooded Romanee Conti family. Forsman knows the family well having trained Eleonora and explained what it is that drew him to her daughter. “She was actually very similar to her mother so obviously that’s a nice trait because she was a very good racehorse and a horse we’ve had a lot to do with. Being by Snitzel with the pedigree behind, her she’s got a lot of residual value heading forward anyway.” “We’re just wrapped to have secured her, we missed out of couple earlier today and that was the number we had settled on, so we were lucky to get her,” he said. Still maintaining his throne as leading purchaser by aggregate, David Ellis of Te Akau Racing purchased 16 yearlings for a total spend of $4,020,000, averaging $251,250. Ellis was elated to be a part of the ringside action during the opening of Karaka 2022. “We have seen an incredible day given the circumstances and I’m proud to be a part of this great industry.” “I just look at the horses and if I really want to train them, then I just have to buy them and we’ve purchased some excellent horses today. “After looking at the quality of athletes in the Sale, I knew that it would achieve good results, but you have just got to take your hat off to NZB given the way that they run it,” Ellis said. To enquire about Passed Lots contact Regan Donnison on +64 21 512 466 or email regan.donnison@nzb.co.nz or Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz. Catch the highlights and Lot-by-Lot footage from Day One online. View the full of Book 1 Day One results here.