Ballarat Cup

[Zanzi_Bromac]

Shaping as a cracker race.


Interesting to see if Terror and Christen Me back up.


Stewart will have Guaranteed, Philadelphia Man and possibly Restrepo (Stewart has said he will most likely race in the Lightning FFA).


Philadelphia Man will be an interesting runner with a front row draw.


Beautide a possibility to contest also.


What a race its going to be!

[Smoken]

Man, it will be a cracker alright! I want to see, if Philadelphia Man can match it with the hot shots. Garuanteed will be a big hope, but then again, how can you seperate, Beautide, CM, TTL, Garaunteed? There are no stand out dominating Champions, they are all very closely matched. Luck & draws will be a decider I reckon.

[teecee]

TTL will be there. CM will not.

[Amlin]

Looking forward to getting there for the big race - nice weather forecast so should be a bumper attendance!

[Richard prior]

Thought I heard CM is heading home, Is that right Boss??

[Amlin]

Noms for the main race as of now - some also nommed for Yarra Glen Cup which is on Friday arvo

[teecee]

Thought I heard CM is heading home, Is that right Boss??


yep... you got it

[Richard prior]

yep... you got it

Home for a wee break and back for the Hunter & Victoria Cups hopefully.

[teecee]

Home for a wee break and back for the Hunter & Victoria Cups hopefully.
That's the plan followed by ID heat and hopefully final. That's 4 races in 4-5 weeks at that level will be absolutely full on so a break now is the plan.
TTL goes home after Ballarat and back for the same program.

[Race For Fun]

Beautide is out according to story on harness web site.

[Messenger]

Disappointing for the club as that certainly takes a large chunk of class factor out to the race

[Richard prior]

Yes very disappointing for the Club Kev, What about Gavin Lang's dilemma, Guaranteed or Philadephia Man???

[Smoken]

Bit of a bummer for the club, but still very high quality horses going around.
I'd say 90% Gavin will be on Guaranteed Rich. I'd be shocked if he's not!

[Richard prior]

Same here Evan, Got to go with the established star.

[aussiebreno]

First time in his career Restrepo won't have G Lang to guide him in a race start.

[Zanzi_Bromac]

First time in his career Restrepo won't have G Lang to guide him in a race start.


Well picked up Breno, all 41 starts G Lang has piloted!

[HaroldParker]

Disappointing for the club as that certainly takes a large chunk of class factor out to the race

Never fear, Artoc's owners chipped in with 500 and doubled it. They may want to think about that one next year ?

As if TTL's task from that draw wasn't difficult enough with the locals drawing 1, 3 and 4. He'll have Artoc easing in his face looking for the pegs. Team TTL should be on the phone to Artoc's owners and chipping them $1K and an Outback Steakhouse voucher to stay home and go out for a bite to eat instead.

[Richard prior]

Never fear, Artoc's owners chipped in with 500 and doubled it. They may want to think about that one next year ?

As if TTL's task from that draw wasn't difficult enough with the locals drawing 1, 3 and 4. He'll have Artoc easing in his face looking for the pegs. Team TTL should be on the phone to Artoc's owners and chipping them $1K and an Outback Steakhouse voucher to stay home and go out for a bite to eat instead.
Hahahahaha, Agree Bob, They should taken the Cash/ Voucher considering the class of the field.

[Messenger]

Philadelphia Man loses nothing with Nathan Jack in the cart. The biggest question in my book would be the fact that he has not had much experience, especially over more than 2240m - in fact only a 4th in a NSW Derby Ht over 2400m

[Richard prior]

Bloody stewards need a rocket, What a bloody disgrace, This business should have been sorted mid week if it was a problem last week.

[Toohard]

Am sure I saw Manaroa in someone on heres horses over on left hand side of screen.
Sorry can't recall who though.

Am at Ballarat and they just presented an award to the bloke who recently wrote a book about him.

[gregcattell]

horses being scratched not allowed to use ufo sulkies any imfo

[brent_L]

horses being scratched not allowed to use ufo sulkies any imfo
Shame shame shame. Head steward just said "we noticed irregularities late this week and decided to measure some sulkies before the first race tonight". How in the hell don't they do the farking measuring earlier or at least send out a memo. Harness racing in the toilet tonight!

[brent_L]

Terror will be $1.20 now.

[The Escape Club]

An absolute disgrace.

[Messenger]

Never fear, Artoc's owners chipped in with 500 and doubled it. They may want to think about that one next year ?

As if TTL's task from that draw wasn't difficult enough with the locals drawing 1, 3 and 4. He'll have Artoc easing in his face looking for the pegs. Team TTL should be on the phone to Artoc's owners and chipping them $1K and an Outback Steakhouse voucher to stay home and go out for a bite to eat instead.

Artoc accepting a stroke of genius now Bob

[djgood]

Why cant they use other sulkies ?

[Messenger]

An absolute disgrace.

I can see the new racing minister sacking them all

[Messenger]

Why cant they use other sulkies ?

It would seem a couple of trainers are trying to make a point?

Commiserations to all that made a long trip to see the cup - although they will be able to say they were there when .........

[gregcattell]

5 horses scratched from race 4 Canberra tonight wonder if same

[djgood]

So they scratched in protest about not being able to use illegal gear? But in seriousness how was sulky approved in first place who measured it?

[Adaptor]

Oh No! The work of the Ballarat Club over the past few weeks, the Breakfast on RSN, their major sponsor Petstock, the fantastic pages in the Herald Sun today absolutlly smashed..........for sulkies????
Heads must roll!

[Messenger]

Oh No! The work of the Ballarat Club over the past few weeks, the Breakfast on RSN, their major sponsor Petstock, the fantastic pages in the Herald Sun today absolutlly smashed..........for sulkies????
Heads must roll!

Well summed up Noel

[Race For Fun]

What about that for bringing the game into disrepute. Shameful timing to decide to measure the gigs on Saturday night on cup night when the stewards had the information on Thursday. Shame, shame, shame.

[Messenger]

So they scratched in protest about not being able to use illegal gear? But in seriousness how was sulky approved in first place who measured it?

I thought Emma Stewart's home club was Ballarat. I hope she thought long and hard about this action

[Adaptor]

From the UFO Sulky website. If they have sold as many sulkies as the ad says, wern't they approved in the first place?

"Excuse the pun but Australia's main UFO harness racing man is over the moon. The chief executive for UFO Sulkies in Australia and New Zealand, Frank Ranaldi, is delighted with both the sales and the results since the official launch of his company in October last year.
“I couldn’t be happier. We have had more than 800 winners and as many place-getters again in Australasia.
“The UFO sulky has dominated Australia with a plethora of track and race records. There have also been multiple Group 1 winners including Interdominion Final (I’m The Mightyquinn) and the recent Auckland Cup quinella (I’m The Mightyquinn and Terror To Love),” Ranaldi told Harnesslink.:

[Messenger]

How bad was ricky may's drive!

[brent_L]

How bad was ricky may's drive!
I reckon the folk that took the $1.10 would tell u Kev.

It probably didn't affect his finishing position, but what the hell was Bellman doing carting up TTL??

[Big Mac]

What has happened to the sulky from the time stewards approved it until now? Is this a new version that didn't go before stewards? If it is outside the rules - it is cheating. Simple as that. What about the stables who have paid big bucks for the UFO gigs. Emma Stewart with 4 runners must have $50000 invested in them. Many questions to be answered

[Adaptor]

And more...
"BEAUTIDE " (James Rattray up) wins Miracle Mile in 1.50.2 "BETTORS FIRE" ( Kyle Harper up ) in a soft 1.53.8 Mt Eden Mile victory...using UFO Sulkies !!!!

There is no logic in what appears to have taken place at Ballarat/ Hope that the papers tomorrow pick it up and report honestly, and that the Racing Minister Martin Pikula has been informed.
The effects are enormous....Ballarat get 10% of the oncourse TAB turnover for th emeeting..that will be effected, sponsor goodwill down the gurgler,surely owners couldn't be in agreement with scratching from a Group 1 race.
You can actually hire sulkies on course ( Australian Sulky Hire via their Facebook page) , and some drivers have their own. Daryl Douglas takes his sulky to the races with him ( maybe they are UFOs)

[Messenger]

And more...
"BEAUTIDE " (James Rattray up) wins Miracle Mile in 1.50.2 "BETTORS FIRE" ( Kyle Harper up ) in a soft 1.53.8 Mt Eden Mile victory...using UFO Sulkies !!!!

There is no logic in what appears to have taken place at Ballarat/ Hope that the papers tomorrow pick it up and report honestly, and that the Racing Minister Martin Pikula has been informed.
The effects are enormous....Ballarat get 10% of the oncourse TAB turnover for th emeeting..that will be effected, sponsor goodwill down the gurgler,surely owners couldn't be in agreement with scratching from a Group 1 race.
You can actually hire sulkies on course ( Australian Sulky Hire via their Facebook page) , and some drivers have their own. Daryl Douglas takes his sulky to the races with him ( maybe they are UFOs)

Unfortunately it will probably be too late Saturday for the Sunday papers to go with it and by the time Monday comes it is old news - the fallout however may make sport headlines in The Sun

Surely the owners would have had to be in agreement Noel

[Big Mac]

Maybe a competitor manufacturer tipped off stewards

[Adaptor]

Maybe the competition ( trainers and owners) got sick of chasing the horses trained by the two trainers who scratched.

Dan Milecki just commented before race 9
"The meeting will be remembered for the wrong reasons. Following on from a fantastic Cranbourne Cup....tonight...tragic.

[Richard prior]

Obviously Big Dan can't say a lot as it may cost him his job.

[Adaptor]

Sulkies
Sulkies from the HRA website
271. Only sulkies of the type, dimensions and materials approved by the Controlling Body may be used.

271A. A sulky shall conform to the standards set out in the document adopted by Harness Racing Australia entitled "Standard For Safety and Performance of Sulkies" and sub titled "The Sulky Standard."

Where do you find details of 271A?

[Messenger]

Adam Hamilton said that it all came about due to HRA notifying HRV about concerns. How HRV took it upon themselves is another matter, as is the reaction of the 2 big stables

[Smoken]

Absolute Shambles!!!!! Ridiculous!

[Race For Fun]

On Sky last night they were calling the gigs "modified UFO gigs" what that means I don't know. Two sides to this but the question to be asked is, as a steward said when interviewed before the race on sky that they had the information on Thursday.Did the stewards allow horses to race at Melton on Friday night in these same gigs that were bared at the races on Saturday night?

There is no argument that
1. Gigs that don't meet specifications should not be sold as race gigs in Australia (not saying that this occurred)
2. When you buy something it's up to the buyer to ensure what you buy is legal for use (who would buy a gig for thousands of dollars and think that there could be a problem).
3. Cup night is not the time to be running the tape over gigs when you could have done something the day before.

[MJD]

HRV issued a statement..."We were informed by Harness Racing Australia during the week of concerns some UFO sulkies were wider than what is allowed. I informed our steward who oversees gear that when next at the races he is to measure the sulkies. He measured them at Thursday's meetings and there was no issue" Why would HRV not hav issued a message to trainers as a heads up as soon as the issue came to hand on Thursday/Friday to check their sulkies rather than thinking it will all be good. Also HRV Stewards are trying to shift blame as they said "UFO is not a new sulky manufacturer. I’m surprised that an experienced sulky maker would supply sulkies outside of HRA specifications". UFO made an error but common sense would hav been to issue a statement & contact trainers to avoid this happening tonight.
Also Emma Stewart confirmed that they used the same now illegal sulky at Melton on Friday night.

[Messenger]

On Sky last night they were calling the gigs "modified UFO gigs" what that means I don't know. Two sides to this but the question to be asked is, as a steward said when interviewed before the race on sky that they had the information on Thursday.Did the stewards allow horses to race at Melton on Friday night in these same gigs that were bared at the races on Saturday night?

There is no argument that
1. Gigs that don't meet specifications should not be sold as race gigs in Australia (not saying that this occurred)
2. When you buy something it's up to the buyer to ensure what you buy is legal for use (who would buy a gig for thousands of dollars and think that there could be a problem).
3. Cup night is not the time to be running the tape over gigs when you could have done something the day before.

All true Toni but I thought they were saying that the trainers who scratched were not prepared to use 'modified UFO gigs' (but you know I hearing is crap)

[Adaptor]

More on the sulky approval :
NEWS ROOM

HRA Industry Notice - Sulky Approval - UFO Sulky

03 October 2012

UFO Sulky
UFO Sulky.
Harness Racing Australia (HRA) has approved the use of the UFO Sulky in racing and trial events, effective from 1 October 2012.
As part of the HRA approval process the sulky has been tested for strength, durability and performance. This testing is performed by Human Impact Engineering. This sulky has also been used in trials under the supervision of stewards.
The sulky conforms to all the requirements of the HRA Sulky Approval Policy and meets the HRA Sulky Standards.
For further details about this sulky contact:
Frank Ranaldi
Frank Ranaldi Enterprises
56 Eva Street
MADDINGTON WA 6109
Phone: 0419 947 159
Email: franaldi@iinet.net.au
HRA takes the process of testing of new products very seriously as it impacts on the health and safety of all participants as well as the welfare of the racing horses.
HRA will continue to work with all manufacturers and distributors of gear and equipment to ensure that all new products meet the standards as set out by the industry.
For any comment or for additional details please contact Gary Kairn, Operations Manager, Harness Racing Australia on (03) 9227 3003.
Bookmark and Share

[Big Mac]

More on the sulky approval :
NEWS ROOM

HRA Industry Notice - Sulky Approval - UFO Sulky

03 October 2012

UFO Sulky
UFO Sulky.
Harness Racing Australia (HRA) has approved the use of the UFO Sulky in racing and trial events, effective from 1 October 2012.
As part of the HRA approval process the sulky has been tested for strength, durability and performance. This testing is performed by Human Impact Engineering. This sulky has also been used in trials under the supervision of stewards.
The sulky conforms to all the requirements of the HRA Sulky Approval Policy and meets the HRA Sulky Standards.
For further details about this sulky contact:
Frank Ranaldi
Frank Ranaldi Enterprises
56 Eva Street
MADDINGTON WA 6109
Phone: 0419 947 159
Email: franaldi@iinet.net.au
HRA takes the process of testing of new products very seriously as it impacts on the health and safety of all participants as well as the welfare of the racing horses.
HRA will continue to work with all manufacturers and distributors of gear and equipment to ensure that all new products meet the standards as set out by the industry.
For any comment or for additional details please contact Gary Kairn, Operations Manager, Harness Racing Australia on (03) 9227 3003.
Bookmark and Share
Does that mean trainers have illegally modified sulkies to gain an unfair advantage? If so, that is no different to drug use. Lucky to get away without a suspension.

[Messenger]

That UFO quote is a couple of years old so it would seem that since then
- they have either sold illegal sulkies
- or trainers have modified their sulkies (unlikely you would spend big bucks then do this - then again maybe we are just talking about using a longer axle)

The bigger issue of course is how the Stewards handled things

As for Emma Stewart talking about legal action, unless the stewards measured incorrectly last night, she does not IMO have a leg to stand on regardless of the stewards poor timing. (More chance the Ballarat Club could take action against the trainers for destroying the night?)

[brent_L]

HRV issued a statement..."We were informed by Harness Racing Australia during the week of concerns some UFO sulkies were wider than what is allowed. I informed our steward who oversees gear that when next at the races he is to measure the sulkies. He measured them at Thursday's meetings and there was no issue" Why would HRV not hav issued a message to trainers as a heads up as soon as the issue came to hand on Thursday/Friday to check their sulkies rather than thinking it will all be good. Also HRV Stewards are trying to shift blame as they said "UFO is not a new sulky manufacturer. I’m surprised that an experienced sulky maker would supply sulkies outside of HRA specifications". UFO made an error but common sense would hav been to issue a statement & contact trainers to avoid this happening tonight.
Also Emma Stewart confirmed that they used the same now illegal sulky at Melton on Friday night.
If this is true, then this whole affair becomes infinitely more farcical.

[Messenger]

If this is true, then this whole affair becomes infinitely more farcical.

I think she should have buttoned it about that one - they may be disqualified

[p plater]

Something does not smell right with all this. If as reported the sulkies are 50cm wider, why not borrow a legal sulky for a 100k race or does that 50cm really make a huge difference.

[Messenger]

Something does not smell right with all this. If as reported the sulkies are 50cm wider, why not borrow a legal sulky for a 100k race or does that 50cm really make a huge difference.

I think you meant 50mm or 5cm Bails but other than that you are too logical. You would have thought at least one major owner would have insisted on your suggestion

Now I must admit that it did not smell right to me either and for one crazy second I turned into Mel Gibson as Jerry Fletcher and thought it was all a cover for some other pre-race abnormality LOL

[p plater]

Kevin, about 2 inches in the old.
You could understand the odd one being out a bit but to have 4 units in one stable and then refusing to race a bit odd.

[PhilC]

Disgraceful and embarrasing how this was handled. Should have let them start last night and then undertaken a sensibly thought out inquiry. If they approved the sulky then they would be found at fault. If the manufacturer changed the specs and the distributor did not resubmit for approval then he is at fault. I suspect the inquiry would (will) find that none of the trainers are at fault, so why penalise them on such a big night.

On a similar theme on which I have commented before why aren't sulky changes included on the stable returns/ gear changes for a meeting. Everyone (including the stewards after last night) knows these carts make a huge difference. If a trainer changes a horses bit from snaffle to straight they have to advise the stewards, and in turn the punters, yet these silkies can be swapped on and off at will. Theoretically a trainer could start a horse in a 20 year old Regal SS Sulky for 3 or 4 starts then put a UFO on without telling anyone, then back the horse. Wouldn't even have to tell the stewards at an improved performance inquiry. In the states, the sulkies I.e. UFO are announced in the warm up.

[Race For Fun]

I don't know much about the problem with the gigs, only what was on sky last night but if the horses were scratched because the only gigs the horses can race in are 50 mm wider than what is legal. Does that mean that those horses now are unable to race as the only gigs that they can physically race in are not legal?

Hard for a trainer to say last night a horse could not race in a certain width gig but if Hunter Cup time comes around and those wider gigs are still not allowed to be used all of a sudden the horses can race in in the narrower gigs .

Horses should have been allowed to race in their normal gigs last night and fix the issue this week. How can stewards think they made the right call either if they didn't stop the wider gigs from being used on Friday night. Once again harness racing is made to look second rate.

[teecee]

My understanding is that the offending sulkies are a modified version of the standard approved UFO.
The UFO is approved for use in Australia and NZ but I am unsure whether the modified version has or needs approval.
The sulky at issue is modified to assist with horses who strike the wheels struts when racing.
Some are modified width (offending ) whilst others are modified lengthwise.
There is a baseless suggestion in some of the posts of this thread but IMO there are no integrity concerns in this issue and whether some big races were won fairly using a UFO sulky.
It is a matter of whether the modifications are approved within the licencing and wof testing of the UFO sulky.

[arlington]

It may well be both the CEO and Chairman of HRV made reference to integrity issues surrounding the events from Thursday through to last night rather than legalities of sulky dimensions teecee but I'm not sure there isn't a concern with over dimension (width) sulkies and fair racing. If we're talking about the extreme outer dimension of a sulky it's cut and dried? One of the drawbacks of the USA style sulkies, adopted for use here, is the reduced 'lift'. One way of increasing lift is to bring the driver closer to the horse where you can run into trouble with hooves striking the struts or wheels. If rectifying that means the outer dimensions of the sulky are outside HRA specs, end of story? Alternatively extending the shafts, modified lengthwise/shaft extensions to give hoof clearance, will have a detrimental effect on lift but keeps the sulky in specs. Certainly not suggesting any participant would consciously use an over dimension width sulky but there could be an advantage considering our racing style and size of tracks. We race on half mile tracks with tighter racing than North America. A horse with a correct sulky could be blocked for a run either to the inside or outside of an over dimension sulky.

[Messenger]

My understanding is that the offending sulkies are a modified version of the standard approved UFO.
The UFO is approved for use in Australia and NZ but I am unsure whether the modified version has or needs approval.
The sulky at issue is modified to assist with horses who strike the wheels struts when racing.
Some are modified width (offending ) whilst others are modified lengthwise.
There is a baseless suggestion in some of the posts of this thread but IMO there are no integrity concerns in this issue and whether some big races were won fairly using a UFO sulky.
It is a matter of whether the modifications are approved within the licencing and wof testing of the UFO sulky.

If anyone suggested that big races may have been won unfairly - I missed it. Oops they surely did and I even quoted it (for its second half) - my bad


It may well be both the CEO and Chairman of HRV made reference to integrity issues surrounding the events from Thursday through to last night rather than legalities of sulky dimensions teecee but I'm not sure there isn't a concern with over dimension (width) sulkies and fair racing. If we're talking about the extreme outer dimension of a sulky it's cut and dried? One of the drawbacks of the USA style sulkies, adopted for use here, is the reduced 'lift'. One way of increasing lift is to bring the driver closer to the horse where you can run into trouble with hooves striking the struts or wheels. If rectifying that means the outer dimensions of the sulky are outside HRA specs, end of story? Alternatively extending the shafts, modified lengthwise/shaft extensions to give hoof clearance, will have a detrimental effect on lift but keeps the sulky in specs. Certainly not suggesting any participant would consciously use an over dimension width sulky but there could be an advantage considering our racing style and size of tracks. We race on half mile tracks with tighter racing than North America. A horse with a correct sulky could be blocked for a run either to the inside or outside of an over dimension sulky.

Interesting Wayne. Am I right, in summarizing, that getting nearer to the horse to provide lift can create hoof strike problems so the answer would be to go back to a longer sulky until a wider short one is approved

[arlington]

If anyone suggested that big races may have been won unfairly - I missed it



Interesting Wayne. Am, I right in summarizing that to getting nearer to the horse to provide lift can create hoof strike problems so the answer would be to go back to a longer sulky until a wider short one is approved


In short (no pun intended) it would seem the logical answer Kev but approving wider sulkies would have wider ramifications (pun intended).

[Toohard]

Forgetting how 25mm either side of a sulky can make a difference (if it can).

Some trainers change carts. Cossel and Jilliby Royal in the 3yo race for example. One not look comfortable from the go. The other under perform. If the sulkies such an advantage why no pre race announcement?

Guaranteed had problems 'going straight' early on as 3yo. Tipping they put a lot of time into fixing problem. Want them to change sulky at last minute?

They knew Thursday of problem. Put announcement up on website after last race last night. We saw in car in car park last night. Said measured carts Friday. Carts OK Friday but then measured last night and not OK?? People then dispute carts measured Friday. They change thing on website to Thursday. Changed?? Why not measured both days? If such a big deal why not both days? Why no message sent telling people check carts on Thursday? Why leave until Saturday night?

My point not about whether carts legal or not. My point about "WTF going on?" Why stuff up Ballarat Cup night? Makes no sense at all.

The whole thing a total embarassment. Been following and participating for many years now. Try to be positive all the time but even I struggle after last night.

[Messenger]

As an aside, I cannot believe that Ballarat Dogs were on last night too

[Smoken]

Kev, they obviously thought they would make it a double whammy, even though you would think that the whole evening should have been focused on there harness meeting.. It's a night that the Ballarat club would want to forget ASAP...

[Messenger]

Kev, they obviously thought they would make it a double whammy, even though you would think that the whole evening should have been focused on there harness meeting.. It's a night that the Ballarat club would want to forget ASAP...

But they are splitting the punting crowd (even if the tracks are only a block apart)

[Messenger]

Emma Stewart won a couple of races at Wedderburn today - I wonder whether these horses handled a change of sulky

[Smoken]

They obviously didn't see it like that Kev. The outcome was a massive flop regardless. Really makes Harness Racing seem dodgy!

[Messenger]

They obviously didn't see it like that Kev. The outcome was a massive flop regardless. Really makes Harness Racing seem dodgy!

I am relying on new Racing Minister Martin Pakula to keep me hanging in

[djgood]

The alien sulky was approved in july 2014 so we are looking at 4 scenarios
1-the person doing the original measurement for HRA measured wrong and alllowed approval
2-Ufo as a compsny got the sulky approved then changed (knowingly or unknowingly) the size
3 - the trainers used a 3rd party to make sulky bigger
or 4- they measured wrong last night

[The Escape Club]

I'd be interested to know what sort of carts are used when fast working the horses that were scratched last night.

[Richard prior]

I'd be interested to know what sort of carts are used when fast working the horses that were scratched last night.
Exactly Rob, Yet to see anyone use their good carts at home in trackwork.

[Maorisidol]

Emma Stewart won a couple of races at Wedderburn today - I wonder whether these horses handled a change of sulky

Lets not put 100% of the heat on the Stewart camp Kev, the Aiken stable scratched Cold Sister and 2 from the Cup too...

[Mister JayKO]

In the heat of the moment, some people can overreact, it seems like there has been a bit of that here - with dramatic consequences. There are 42 laws in the cricket rule book - the unofficial 43rd law is common sense - should be in the HRa laws as well.

[Zanzi_Bromac]

I was at the track last night and still cant believe how it unfolded. An absolute disgrace, with no winners from this situation.


The boo when the race started was electric.


If its correct that Stewart/Aiken refused to use another sulky and opted to scratch her starters I hope the owners of the horses they scratched last night take their horses and give them to new trainers. If my horse was fav for the Ballarat cup, I would be ****** off if it was scratched so my trainer could make a protest/statement against the industry.


At the end of the day, rules are rules.

[teecee]

[QUOTE=Messenger;39134]If anyone suggested that big races may have been won unfairly - I missed it

Check out #40 (and #41)

[teecee]

There is a lot of bad blood on here in regards to the trainers who scratched their horses. My understanding is that these modified carts were used on these horses so as not to be striking the sulky parts during the race. That is to say the horses had difficulty racing in the standard size sulky. This is not an uncommon occurrence.
From the trainers' perspective the issue is addressed by the use of a modified sulky. They cannot put a standard sulky on the horse and the horse run truly and / or not be injured. (My perspective as a trainer)
From the owners' perspective as per a trainers' perspective as above. Sure, my horse couldn't race in a prestigious race but in knowing why the horse has raced in that cart previously my horse 's safety is paramount. (My perspective as an owner)
From the punters' perspective my investment is scratched as the trainer has deemed the horse can't/ wont race truly I get my investment back. Better than it going down the gurgler even before the race is run.


From the perspective of all three parties, this situation could/ should have been handled in a not too difficult manner without negatively impacting the interests of any of the parties.

[Adaptor]

Chances are that each of the horses that were scratched had been racing in sulkies that had been adjusted ( or modified?) to suit each horses size, gait ( especially the way they spread their hind hooves when at full speed) for some time. I guess that you can't pick up the details of the sulky Guaranteed used in the Miracle Mile, Swan Hill Cup etc from the videos.

[Njcstables]

http://www.harness.org.au/news-article.cfm?news_id=25232

This up on hrv website today.

[Messenger]

Lets not put 100% of the heat on the Stewart camp Kev, the Aiken stable scratched Cold Sister and 2 from the Cup too...

Did Aiken have any runners at Wedderburn today?

[Messenger]

[QUOTE=Messenger;39134]If anyone suggested that big races may have been won unfairly - I missed it

Check out #40 (and #41)

Sorry Tony, I quoted it for the second half without even reading it properly - will correct my post

[p plater]

Interesting to read the UFO website regarding wheel to wheel space.

THE UFO SULKY HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY APPROVED FOR RACING IN AUSTRALIA ,EFFECTIVE 1ST OCTOBER 2012 and NEW ZEALAND , EFFECTIVE 16TH OCTOBER 2012
Human Impact Testing Engineering (NSW) has advised the material used to build the UFO Sulky, is the genuine "military grade" chome moly, and this explains its unique strength, lightweight feature and flexibility.
There are no other Import Sulkies or Australian "copies" that use this specific high grade chrome moly, exclusively. The weight saving characteristics of the UFO, combined with the straighter shaft design, minimal lateral movement, unique offset, places the UFO Sulky way ahead of all its competitors. It has the reputation of "THE FASTEST BIKE ON EARTH", and "48 world records and counting" is certainly no coincidence!
The UFO Sulky has the widest inside wheel to wheel base on the market! The Sulky can be attached all the way in, on the bullet tips, on almost every horse, regardless of size, without concern of interference.


The sulkies in question are wider again!!!!!!!

[Smoken]

Go on RSN and listen to what Emma Stewart has to say. Make your own decision on Neal Conder's interview.. Seems as though he's had a few sleepless nights...

[Mister JayKO]

Go on RSN and listen to what Emma Stewart has to say. Make your own decision on Neal Conder's interview.. Seems as though he's had a few sleepless nights...
Having listened to all interviews, what other option did Neal Conder have? He receives an anonymous call suggesting some carts are outside the rules, tells his gear steward to measure carts on Thursday, when in duty, which he does and has no issues, so there is no reason to think there is a problem, yet when the same Steward is next rostered on and commences the same process at Ballarat, he finds carts outside the rules. The stewards have no room to move here, the carts are illegal. It's far from ideal, but I find it hard to believe that there were not six carts that could have fitted the horses affected without having them hit the struts.

[Smoken]

Emma Stewart clearly and directly explained the change of cart situation.
In regards to Noel, he was unsure at times of what he was saying,he was contradicting himself, and finally,he admitted in hindsight, he would have gone about it differently. End result IMO, he stuffed up big time! Wouldn't you contact the owners of these carts just to triple check with the owners of these carts a few days before the Ballarat Cup? I mean, he thought there might be some truth/merit to these rumours which normally go unchecked, so why not check before race night? He knew about this rumour mid week last week??
I feel sorry for the Ballarat Harness Club!

[Mister JayKO]

Emma Stewart clearly and directly explained the change of cart situation.
In regards to Noel, he was unsure at times of what he was saying,he was contradicting himself, and finally,he admitted in hindsight, he would have gone about it differently. End result IMO, he stuffed up big time! Wouldn't you contact the owners of these carts just to triple check with the owners of these carts a few days before the Ballarat Cup? I mean, he thought there might be some truth/merit to these rumours which normally go unchecked, so why not check before race night? He knew about this rumour mid week last week??
I feel sorry for the Ballarat Harness Club!
I feel for Ballarat as well, but there was no conspiracy here, which if you read some of the comments circulating on Saturday night along the lines of "the stewards knew" etc, clearly they didn't otherwise the situation would have been very different. 20/20 hindsight is great but the way things unfolded the stewards had no other options. I don't buy the argument that other carts could not be found, there were plenty of other legal ufo carts going around on Saturday night. I understand the set up issues, but the heat here should be on the manufacturer.

[Smoken]

Yep, Ballarat and over all Harness gets the shaft! I still don't understand why he wouldn't contact the owners who owned these carts, since they already know who own them? They SMS owners regarding other issues, so why not this? Do you blame
Emma and Aiken for withdrawing there very high quality horses?

[Mister JayKO]

Yep, Ballarat and over all Harness gets the shaft! I still don't understand why he wouldn't contact the owners who owned these carts, since they already know who own them? They SMS owners regarding other issues, so why not this? Do you blame
Emma and Aiken for withdrawing there very high quality horses?I think he explained his position very well, everyone wants a scapegoat, but apart from performing a routine check, they had no evidence other than a tip off to suggest that they were likely to find a problem and had tested three on Thursday and found no problems with those tested. Given the explosion in new age carts, these days I think it is not likely that they knew who was using what. There are so many that all look relatively similar. They certainly don't have a register of who has what cart. 5 years ago it was either Regals or Challengers, now? Who knows?
It is the trainers prerogative to do what they want, but I don't buy the argument that they could not have borrowed and adjusted other carts, plenty of legal ufo's or doozy' or whatever were there. The focus should be on the manufacturer who sold equipment that is clearly illegal and not what was approved by the HRA.

[Smoken]

I respect your opinion, but I disagree. If he thought the rumour warranted enough to be checked on Thursday, why wouldn't he avoid any potential major drama by contacting the owners with these carts.. Why simply check them on Sat night? They didn't even check them on Friday night @ Melton. I thought Emma explained herself fantastically.

[arlington]

I feel for Ballarat as well, but there was no conspiracy here, which if you read some of the comments circulating on Saturday night along the lines of "the stewards knew" etc, clearly they didn't otherwise the situation would have been very different. 20/20 hindsight is great but the way things unfolded the stewards had no other options. I don't buy the argument that other carts could not be found, there were plenty of other legal ufo carts going around on Saturday night. I understand the set up issues, but the heat here should be on the manufacturer.


Same sentiments to the Ballarat Club.
A few things that were surprising from the radio interviews
- didn't disclose whether all horses scratched were to use the illegal sulkies
- West Aust notified similarly without discovering any illegal sulkies
- one of the affected trainer's from Saturday night had their sulky measured on Thursday and found to conform, but the sulky to be used on Saturday night, when measured on Saturday night, did not


What's equally surprising is when the steward was measuring the sulkies on Thursday not one person was curious enough to ask why.

[Mister JayKO]

I respect your opinion, but I disagree. If he thought the rumour warranted enough to be checked on Thursday, why wouldn't he avoid any potential major drama by contacting the owners with these carts.. Why simply check them on Sat night? They didn't even check them on Friday night @ Melton. I thought Emma explained herself fantastically.
And I respect yours as well, but given the circumstances, it's just a perfect storm. I am disappointed by the comments of some of the industry participants which want to turn a very unfortunate situation into an us and them scenario. I am not blaming the trainers for scratching their horses (though I remain unconvinced of the reasons). At the end of the day it is another shot in the foot for the game and there aren't too many feet left to keep shooting.

[Smoken]

Yes, it makes harness look second rate! It's already considered shady over all.

[Mister JayKO]

Same sentiments to the Ballarat Club.
A few things that were surprising from the radio interviews
- didn't disclose whether all horses scratched were to use the illegal sulkies
- West Aust notified similarly without discovering any illegal sulkies
- one of the affected trainer's from Saturday night had their sulky measured on Thursday and found to conform, but the sulky to be used on Saturday night, when measured on Saturday night, did not


What's equally surprising is when the steward was measuring the sulkies on Thursday not one person was curious enough to ask why.


Read the stewards report, approximate 10 horses scratched due to sulky issues.

None of the sulkys measured on Thursday were found to be illegal, they were not the same Trainers sulky that were found to be illegal on Saturday night. I don't think your comment is accurate.

[arlington]

Read the stewards report, approximate 10 horses scratched due to sulky issues.

None of the sulkys measured on Thursday were found to be illegal, they were not the same Trainers sulky that were found to be illegal on Saturday night. I don't think your comment is accurate.


G'day Stu,


Which particular part of my comment is inaccurate?

I was hoping the interviews would clarify if all horses scratched from the cup were in fact going to use the illegal sulkies. Comments appearing on social media suggested some horses were scratched for other reasons but still due to the illegal sulky issue.
I should have clarified, not all affected trainers scratched their horses in every event. Pretty sure the Chairman of Steward said on radio one of the trainers who did compete on Saturday night with a change of sulky had a sulky measured on Thursday which complied. Not suggesting it was the same sulky.

Now seeing the steward's report, all six horses scratched from the cup were going to use the sulkies in question.


This bit's not specifically relevant to the radio interviews or your post Stu,
What's equally surprising is when the steward was measuring the sulkies on Thursday not one person/participant/trainer/driver was curious enough to ask why. After all the onus is on the owner of the sulky to ensure it complies. You'd have to be curious as to why an official was running a tape measure over your bike...wouldn't you?

[p plater]

If these sulkies are oversized beyond Aust standards, then the manufacturer has supplied an illegal product imo. They must be held accountable, unless they are special orders and can prove it.

[Smoken]

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!

[brent_L]

I'm not quite understanding why the trainers in this situation aren't copping more of a spray. Granted, the whole situation was very unpleasant, especially for the club, but aren't these trainers training as their livelihood? How on gods earth they could put themselves in a position like this by using equipment that is non-conforming is unfathomable to me. If team Adam Scott step onto the course with 15 clubs, they get penalised.....do they blame Tietlist, I don't think so.

p.s as much of a debacle as it was on Satdy night, the goings on in Sydney town certainly do put things in perspective.

[arlington]

p.s as much of a debacle as it was on Satdy night, the goings on in Sydney town certainly do put things in perspective.


Totally agree

[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 :p

[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 :p
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 :pSo 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-article.cfm?news_id=25240

Statement from hra today.

[Messenger]

That explains a lot Nathan

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

[Race For Fun]

http://www.harnesslink.com/International/Authorities-set-sulky-rumours-straight
If this is already posted in another thread sorry haven't seen it.

[Messenger]

http://www.harnesslink.com/International/Authorities-set-sulky-rumours-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/International/Authorities-set-sulky-rumours-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

[Mister JayKO]

"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/International/Authorities-set-sulky-rumours-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

Stewards are sparse because of funding, the industry doesn't have the funds it needs, on race days Stewards are flat chat doing the other integrity checks. Only when there are three on are additional things like this done.

[Toohard]

Stewards are sparse because of funding, the industry doesn't have the funds it needs, on race days Stewards are flat chat doing the other integrity checks. Only when there are three on are additional things like this done.


Yep that's right. But if the participants were alerted when it was found out last Wednesday (instead of this Monday), they could have measured their own. Pretty easy to do these days. Website, twitter, facebook, SMS, etc.


Then this farce wouldn't have happened.

[Messenger]

Stewards are sparse because of funding, the industry doesn't have the funds it needs, on race days Stewards are flat chat doing the other integrity checks. Only when there are three on are additional things like this done.

Maybe for just one Friday they could have given one of them a tape measure - nothing beats flexibility and common sense

[Messenger]

I missed In The Gig - anyone?

[Richard prior]

Just read an article from The Courier Mail and Anderson is seeking approval for carts up to 1400mm wide.

[PhilC]

I missed In The Gig - anyone?

They're in summer recess, so only old stories. Hence no comment on the fiasco.

[Adaptor]

Getting the public back......after the cup disaster.. From today's Ballarat Courier.

BALLARAT and District Trotting Club chief executive Paul Rowse says the club is pleased with plans being mooted in a bid to win back patrons to Bray Raceway.

Rowse said Harness Racing Victoria, in conjunction with the Association of Victorian Country Harness Racing Clubs, would put forward an application to the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing to create a bumper Boxing Day meeting.

The idea is hoped to give something back to those who were left short-changed by Saturday night’s developments, where six horses were scratched from the Ballarat Pacing Cup following a crackdown by stewards on sulky dimensions.

“The proposed activities put forward would definitely be very favourable for our club and to patrons that could potentially be on course Boxing Day night,” Rowse said.

Details on the exact offerings are expected in the coming days. Rowse said repercussions in gambling from Saturday night’s events were felt mainly within the area of on-course turnover.

( Of course the on course figure would suffer....would you bet on the 4 horse field?)

[The Escape Club]

Maybe for just one Friday they could have given one of them a tape measure - nothing beats flexibility and common sense


Kev, before the all clear is given at the races, jockeys weigh in with their saddles. Perhaps before the all clear is given at the trots, measuring the width of the sulky could be part of the process for the first 4. Seriously how long would it take to run a tape measure over them or just have a length of wood or something, pre-cut to 1300mm?

[Messenger]

The pre-cut sounds like a good idea Rob. Stu has made me conscious of Stewards time/commitments so I wonder whether we could get away with them just doing it to the winner. I know it would seem more correct to do the first 4 but by singling out the winner (a bit like swabbing) we would instantly see all trainers making sure they were within the limit.

[Smoken]

They will all be within the limit if they allow the 1400mm width rule through, so there's s great start! At least they have learnt this, we live in an age of very easy communication via-sms-email-social media-mobile phones, so trying one of these options in the future would/could save a very disappointing situation to arise.

[arlington]

Not sure increasing to 1400mm will get the nod, at this stage it appears there's only about half a dozen carts involved. Besides it needing Australia wide approval and the illegal carts having an advantage, imagine if you're a trainer or driver that's just forked out for a legal new cart.
Seems like the manufacturer of these illegal carts has a lot to answer for, more than anyone else.

[allanjg]

1300mm,1400mm,1500mm,there will always be someone that will have a go at bending the rules.....to eliminate the need for the stewards to be running around measuring every sulky on the course, just have each and every club install a 40mm pipe bow made to the max legal width at the horse entry,if the sulky dos`nt fit through the bow, the sulky don`nt enter the course...as simple as that.

[The Escape Club]

They will all be within the limit if they allow the 1400mm width rule through, so there's s great start! At least they have learnt this, we live in an age of very easy communication via-sms-email-social media-mobile phones, so trying one of these options in the future would/could save a very disappointing situation to arise.


The problem then Ange will be that one day someone will show up with a cart that is 1450mm and we'll go through this again. Keep it at 1300mm and the owners of the offending carts can take up their case with the supplier/importer/manufacturer.

[Messenger]

1300mm,1400mm,1500mm,there will always be someone that will have a go at bending the rules.....to eliminate the need for the stewards to be running around measuring every sulky on the course, just have each and every club install a 40mm pipe bow made to the max legal width at the horse entry,if the sulky dos`nt fit through the bow, the sulky don`nt enter the course...as simple as that.

I thought about that myself Allan but I thought it could an OH&S issue with a 1300mm cart having to be driven mm perfect through a 1300mm bow.
I do not think we need to measure every cart - just measure all or most winners (like swabbing) and the fear of not getting the All Clear will see to it that trainers know how wide their carts are.

[arlington]

I think Allan is referring to the horse entry, upon arriving on course, from the float car park Kev... no horse between the shafts.
I'd say after what happened Saturday night the rule and penalty makers will make it a lock you in jail penalty if someone offended in the future. No doubt there's been plenty of trainers/drivers that have dusted off the tape measure since.

[Messenger]

I think Allan is referring to the horse entry, upon arriving on course, from the float car park Kev... no horse between the shafts.
I'd say after what happened Saturday night the rule and penalty makers will make it a lock you in jail penalty if someone offended in the future. No doubt there's been plenty of trainers/drivers that have dusted off the tape measure since.

I wondered about that too Wayne but thought it might have required too much supervision and would have required a steward on the gate or else it could be open to corruption

[Race For Fun]

Queensland might have the right idea.
http://www.harness.org.au/news/uploads/Notice%20to%20Participants%20re%20Sulky%20Inspecti ons%20Dec%2014.pdf

[Messenger]

Queensland might have the right idea.
http://www.harness.org.au/news/uploads/Notice%20to%20Participants%20re%20Sulky%20Inspecti ons%20Dec%2014.pdf

I really did think of something like that too Toni but thought they would consider it too much work as after the initial work (which they say will require extra steward at first) there will still be the ongoing work of inspecting every sulky every race - not only to see the compliance tag but to see that all the criteria are still being met eg. no cracks etc since last time

I think simply adding a 1300mm fibreglass length to the stewards tools which they can place across the width of all/most winners when they return would see trainers self regulate pretty quickly out of fear of losing first prizemoney

Overall I fear we are going to see overkill for what amounts to a manufacturers mistake, when there are so many bigger issues in harness racing

[Toohard]

Carts measured at Melton today. Not by the gear steward.

[teecee]

Queensland might have the right idea.
http://www.harness.org.au/news/uploads/Notice%20to%20Participants%20re%20Sulky%20Inspecti ons%20Dec%2014.pdf


That is interesting. We have sulky Warrant of Fitness checks on all sulkies every 2 years and each sulky registered with its own unique id number when first registered. Each sulky is coloured tagged when passing the test which includes safety aspects incl structural integrity and measures. Does Aust not have anything like that currently??

[arlington]

Commissioner delivers Report regarding the Special Inquiry into the late scratching of horses from the 2014 (Harness Racing) Ballarat Pacing Cup


https://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/ric/resources/34e5b9c8-9282-47ec-9a3a-56bc4152f644/ric+media+statement+21.05.2015.pdf


HRV responds to Ballarat Pacing Cup Report


http://www.harness.org.au/news-article.cfm?news_id=26550