Ballarat Cup

[Mister JayKO]

If the manufacturer is at fault, then it will be found out, but that still doesn't explain the unprofessionalism on what happened on Sat night. This all could have been prevented, from that Thursday that they decided for some strange reason to look into this rumour. Did they forget that more trainers use these sulkys, and the big guns would be using them on Sat night?
Yep, I'm sounding like a parrot, but just because they are stewards, that doesn't mean they did not use common sense on Sat night, because & they didn't thoroughly investigate this rumour! If you investigate it, you might as well do it thoroughly, not just on some sulkys.
I wonder if this rumour was true, how many other rumours could be true, but HRV brush them off... Why did this tip off warrant for it to be looked at, even though very poorly.
Makes you seriously wonder! Harness will be last of the racing codes for many years to come at this rate!

I believe given the resources available (very limited) the did what they should have done by investigating a line of enquiry at the first available opportunity - Thursday - found nothing and given that result were not alarmed. Had they found one on Thursday different story. The number of rumours that stewards receive are significant, they have to use some judgement as to what resources they employ and what they check out vs what they don't. Har does not have the resources of the gallops, but it's no surprise that some of the best gallops stewards came from the trots. Most participants would not understand the large number of jobs performed by stewards on race day - it is significant.

Credit to them that they kept going at the next available opportunity and found something. Participants are required to play within the rules, Trainers have a responsibility to race horses in approved gear. Not the stewards fault here in my opinion.

[Smoken]

Stu, if you were the head steward, and this came to your attention, would you double check these claims, especially since it's a few days out from some very big name horses running in the Ballarat Cup, who also happen to run in these carts? It's fine to say rules are rules, but if the head steward/stewards can't look into a claim thoroughly, since they obviously deem it to be worthwhile to be looked at in the first place, then it all becomes messy and the integrity becomes even messier. Like I said before, out of so many rumours or tip offs that are given, for some reason they clearly believed this rumour to may have some merit behind it. They simply didn't do there job properly to rule out any truth to the rumour. The Thursday check up over several or so sulkys was enough for them.. Come Sat night, they were left with egg on there face, and the loser out of all of this was the fantastic Ballarat club. Stewards need to enforce common sense in the rule book!
Macaw Evan

[Mister JayKO]

Stu, if you were the head steward, and this came to your attention, would you double check these claims, especially since it's a few days out from some very big name horses running in the Ballarat Cup, who also happen to run in these carts? It's fine to say rules are rules, but if the head steward/stewards can't look into a claim thoroughly, since they obviously deem it to be worthwhile to be looked at in the first place, then it all becomes messy and the integrity becomes even messier. Like I said before, out of so many rumours or tip offs that are given, for some reason they clearly believed this rumour to may have some merit behind it. They simply didn't do there job properly to rule out any truth to the rumour. The Thursday check up over several or so sulkys was enough for them.. Come Sat night, they were left with egg on there face, and the loser out of all of this was the fantastic Ballarat club. Stewards need to enforce common sense in the rule book!
Macaw Evan

Unfortunately, I understand time and resources, given what was available I am 100% comfortable with the route they followed, particularly given the rumour was received from an anonymous source. The trainers need to wear some blame, they brought and had been racing in illegal equipment. The egg was on the face of everyone because it was a major night for the industry. Once the stewards detected the carts were outside 1.3M they had no room to move, their is no discretion allowed. Neal Conder was at pains to say they had no information to suggest that they would find illegal carts - but they did. We now need to find out how and why these carts came into being.

[Smoken]

You mention resources , yet it could have taken a simple SMS to notify the trainers who use these carts. That's not very hard to do, considering they sms them for other issues, & the Ballarat meeting that was coming up, should have made them that little more thorough in there investigation. They should have taken the rumour seriously or not bother with the little check up on the track on Thursday. They had plenty of time. It backfired on them now, plain and simple!

[Richard prior]

Stu, if you were the head steward, and this came to your attention, would you double check these claims, especially since it's a few days out from some very big name horses running in the Ballarat Cup, who also happen to run in these carts? It's fine to say rules are rules, but if the head steward/stewards can't look into a claim thoroughly, since they obviously deem it to be worthwhile to be looked at in the first place, then it all becomes messy and the integrity becomes even messier. Like I said before, out of so many rumours or tip offs that are given, for some reason they clearly believed this rumour to may have some merit behind it. They simply didn't do there job properly to rule out any truth to the rumour. The Thursday check up over several or so sulkys was enough for them.. Come Sat night, they were left with egg on there face, and the loser out of all of this was the fantastic Ballarat club. Stewards need to enforce common sense in the rule book!
Macaw Evan

So that's what happened to my Sunflowers hey lol.

[Messenger]

Too many sunflower seeds are bad for a bird - they are like their chocolate (guessing this is the link between sunflowers and Ev's strange Macaw sign off)

[Njcstables]

http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=25240

Statement from hra today.

[Messenger]

That explains a lot Nathan

http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=25240

Harness Racing Australia (HRA) has been advised by Stewards in Victoria that a number of 'UFO Alien' sulkies have been identified that do not conform to the HRA Sulky Standards in that they are wider than the maximum allowed width of 1300m.

.......

The Committee considered the information provided by Stewards as well as correspondence provided by the UFO Sulky representative in Australia, Mr Frank Ranaldi.
It was determined that in the interests of all industry participants, the 'UFO Alien' sulky approval be temporarily suspended, effective immediately - prohibiting the ordering, sale and delivery of such sulkies without the express written permission of HRA.
It is important to note that this decision does not restrict the use of existing 'UFO Alien' sulkies which meet the HRA Sulky Standard measurements requirements. These can continue to be used in the usual manner.

http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=25240

[Race For Fun]

http://www.harnesslink.com/Internati...mours-straight
If this is already posted in another thread sorry haven't seen it.

[Messenger]

http://www.harnesslink.com/Internati...mours-straight
If this is already posted in another thread sorry haven't seen it.

"Our steward who observes gear was rostered on Thursday and checked several sulkies, which all cleared, his next rostered meeting just happened to be Ballarat on Saturday night, which had nothing to do with who was at the track and who wasn’t.”

http://www.harnesslink.com/Internati...mours-straight

Shouldn't all stewards observe gear? If there is only one 'specializing?' in that area, a trainer or driver wanting to try something outside the rules could wait until he is not officiating. I do not think this has been the case with the over sized sulkies - just pointing out a massive gap. I simply don't buy the excuse for there being no measuring done on Friday, nor the lack of communication/warning from stewards to participants