Stewards tonight concluded their inquiries into Jason Lee’s drive on Narra Operative in Race 8 at Ballarat on Tuesday 2 September 2014. After hearing further evidence from driver Jason Lee and considering all the evidence he tendered and hearing evidence from driver Daryl Douglas regarding the previous racing pattern of Narra Operative, driver Lee was charged under Rule 149(1): A driver shall take all reasonable and permissible measures during the course of a race to ensure that the horse driven by that driver is given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible placing in the field. The particulars being that by going to the pegs at the 1300m mark when it was reasonable and permissible to remain one off he has diminished his chances for an opportunity to gain clear running and therefore afford the horse its best opportunity to win or obtain the best possible placing in the race. Driver Lee was found guilty as charged and his licence to drive in race was suspended for a period of 4 weeks. In assessing penalty stewards were satisfied that when positioning Narra Operative to the pegs at the 1300m mark they felt it was a culpable error of judgment with no intent but diminished the horse’s opportunity to gain clear running over the latter stages of the race and also took into account his good driving record and his forthright evidence.
The stewards must think we are infants and have to write fairytales for us
I am glad that he at least copped 4wks - the integrity of our sport does not just have to be upheld but also seen to be upheld