Stewards News

[Messenger]

Where do we find the results of this questioning?
Do NSW have Stewards Supplementary Reports like Vic does?

SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT



Newcastle 10th February 2018 – Race 8

Stewards conducted an inquiry into the performance of SACKHEIM in Race 8 at Newcastle on 10 February 2018 and the tactics adopted by driver J Harding. After taking evidence from J Harding and trainer G Harding Stewards adjourned the inquiry to allow them to obtain the betting information on the event.

https://www.harnessmediacentre.com.a...dsreports/2026

The Integrity Manager directed me to the above, found at the end of the stewards report 6 days later (where Sackheim won)

Whatever the betting shows, I would hope the stewards are assessing whether the drive was satisfactory or not

[arlington]

And there in the Stewards report lies the questions Tee Cee, at what stage does something look/appear malicious? at what stage would your average Harness Racing Steward identify or be suspicious of potential foul driving?" More importantly does anyone think the average punter would think that act of "directing his horse up the track" might appear our game is not on the "up and up'?

I've been around this game for close to 50 years and in that time seen some VERY ordinary things that went virtually unnoticed, but you would hope that when something looks suspect the punters and participants get a reasonably practical explanation of what ACTUALLY occurred and subsequently how our administrators are going to ensure any ongoing suspect situations will be resolved.

In this instance, I have not seen any evidence that would support that hope.

Protest dismissed but driver gets 7 days, Gee it was a fair old shunt and whether or not it would have made any difference to the result with the horses finishing in 4th or 5th place is besides the point, The driver of the 4th place horse was guilty of an indiscretion, Given a 7 day suspension and the placings should have been reversed in my humble opinion, It’s just seems a little hypercritical to suspend the driver and not reverse the placings.

I really don't like commenting much before the stewards report comes out but now; a couple of other rules seem to have been completely ignored. Unfathomable that a driver is allowed to, in effect, man handle another runner like this. Are we commenting without viewing head on vision? Would that view really show anything other than what seems plain to see?

You wouldn't even accept that the infringing driver was fending the horse away from his own sulky wheels to avoid knocking it down. BUT the stewards report doesn't address the/any man handling.

Heaven help us if this type of driving is acceptable. Chariots of fire every day of the week. If my horse was man handled like that it would be near on impossible to not go close to infringing the "acting in a manner detrimental to the image of" rule after the race. But the stewards would obviously allow me pay back on the track, ok, so no "acting in a manner" infringemnt for me.


edit: I really wouldn't want to pay back another driver through a horse, looks like I'm back to "acting in a manner..."

[teecee]

And there in the Stewards report lies the questions Tee Cee, at what stage does something look/appear malicious? at what stage would your average Harness Racing Steward identify or be suspicious of potential foul driving?" More importantly does anyone think the average punter would think that act of "directing his horse up the track" might appear our game is not on the "up and up'?

I've been around this game for close to 50 years and in that time seen some VERY ordinary things that went virtually unnoticed, but you would hope that when something looks suspect the punters and participants get a reasonably practical explanation of what ACTUALLY occurred and subsequently how our administrators are going to ensure any ongoing suspect situations will be resolved.

In this instance, I have not seen any evidence that would support that hope.

A quotation I have heard and read in a number of Judicial hearings here. This case in my view is pertinent....

Mr ...... asked the Committee to bear in mind through the hearing a quote from the Hon Justice Mr W R Haylen in relation to a ruling dated 20 May 2009.
“perhaps to throw my interpretation into the mix I might view it this way-that the sort of culpable action that is required to amount to a breach of this Rule might be such that in normal circumstances a reasonable and knowledgeable harness racing spectator might be expected to exclaim with words to the effect “what on earth is he doing “or “my goodness look at that” or some such explanation”.

[Richard prior]

That would be putting it mildly Teecee lol

[Messenger]

I found the outstanding quality R5 C1 at Maryborough today very interesting.

At the beginning I thought to myself - Chris Alford cannot be trying as he allowed himself to be pocketed 3 fence (which was to become 4 fence)
but in the end he got off the fence down the back straight and certainly appeared to be trying

I know he is a legendary professional but if he had not been able to get off the fence I would have expected a QDT and a suspension.
I would love to hear his thoughts on the drive and whether that was a concern to him at all

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...ic#MHC09031803

[aussiebreno]

I found the outstanding quality R5 C1 at Maryborough today very interesting.

At the beginning I thought to myself - Chris Alford cannot be trying as he allowed himself to be pocketed 3 fence (which was to become 4 fence)
but in the end he got off the fence down the back straight and certainly appeared to be trying

I know he is a legendary professional but if he had not been able to get off the fence I would have expected a QDT and a suspension.
I would love to hear his thoughts on the drive and whether that was a concern to him at all

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...ic#MHC09031803

Looks like the horse has a bit to learn.
Lead time on the quicker side of average and 29.5 1st quarter he was probably loathe to make it work the chair.

[Messenger]

Looks like the horse has a bit to learn.
Lead time on the quicker side of average and 29.5 1st quarter he was probably loathe to make it work the chair.

I have followed the horse since his very first start which was his last day as a 2yo last year and he went to the Death and ran a close 2nd to Dragontown when they set the Tk Rec which was beaten today.
As well as that, it was very early in the race and plenty of chance that something would come around

I was more just pondering what the stewards may have thought if he did not get out at all

[aussiebreno]

I have followed the horse since his very first start which was his last day as a 2yo last year and he went to the Death and ran a close 2nd to Dragontown when they set the Tk Rec which was beaten today.
As well as that, it was very early in the race and plenty of chance that something would come around

I was more just pondering what the stewards may have thought if he did not get out at all

Not to guess Alfords intentions but he was on what appeared to be the best horse in the race on its debut so he drove it like that. Wasn't in the top 2 horses in yesterdays field so he didn't drive it like that. If he was favourite I'd be expecting stewards to question him, but with those two smart ones in it I'd say the bloke with over 6000 winners knew what he was doing when staying on the pegs.
He did start $4.50 but that would have blown out to probably around $8 in live betting once he didn't lead or hold leaders back. Not sure how many $8 shots Stewards are asking to go up and work the chair (even with potential of cover).
The horse wasn't running tractably enough to continue being hunted out and wasn't up to the class of the two favourites at this stage in his career. Nothing to see here, even if the race had panned out that he never seen daylight.

[Messenger]

Not to guess Alfords intentions but he was on what appeared to be the best horse in the race on its debut so he drove it like that. Wasn't in the top 2 horses in yesterdays field so he didn't drive it like that. If he was favourite I'd be expecting stewards to question him, but with those two smart ones in it I'd say the bloke with over 6000 winners knew what he was doing when staying on the pegs.
He did start $4.50 but that would have blown out to probably around $8 in live betting once he didn't lead or hold leaders back. Not sure how many $8 shots Stewards are asking to go up and work the chair (even with potential of cover).
The horse wasn't running tractably enough to continue being hunted out and wasn't up to the class of the two favourites at this stage in his career. Nothing to see here, even if the race had panned out that he never seen daylight.

In your opinion

Of course there was nothing to see as he did get out - just thought it was an interesting 'hypothetical'

[Messenger]

the stewards clearly did not like the look of r6 at geelong tonight

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...ic#gec03011802

it will be interesting to see if anything comes of it

i wonder whether they noticed some similarities with the previous race with the same 2 stables involved - males horse handed up to nicholson horse for a nicholson win, next race males horse hands up to nicholson horse (even though it was fav handing up to 2nd fav) but nicholson horse runs up the track to let males horse out early

zip

http://www.harness.org.au/media-room...?news_id=36676

Laughable