$60 for a place in 5 horse field Auckland trots.

[Lightning Blue]

Well that was something unusual. $60 for the place. 

Only 5 in the race and most were stable-mates. SECRET DELIGHT getting a near record divvie there. 

I know there are only 2 place divies in a small field like that but $60 for running 2nd is quite good on the QLD tote.

AKUTA paid $1.90 for the place in QLD too, which was money for jam (paid $1.30 for the Win)

[Happy Sunrise]

Did you back either?

[Lightning Blue]

18 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Did you back either?

Had a Bettor Twist bet and Akuta in some multis at $1.40 but no $60 shots alas..was a very big day for racing yesterday with the Golden Slipper on , and others so came out a few dollars in front. Hope your trots bets are coming off ok.!!!!

I just watch for driving gem 'Nat Ras' driving for NZ trot bets as a basic rule, as you just know she will put the horse 'In the race' at some stage, AND they all just run for her. AND it's usually 'feature' races where some drive 'conservatively' but Nat drives aggressively to win. excellent stuff.....

Gallopers (metro racing) are generally way better value than NZ trots these days , in having a crack ,etc as with the big prize money up for grabs , they are having a red hot crack every race , and are 'Set For Races'  . (except Verry Elleegant yesterday which was extremely short, but looked a winner lol..... (finishd a very good 2nd in the Ranvet) there go a few more of my multis dead lol.....) 

King of Swing being generally 'Set For Races' and Allstars runners in NZ the same, Nathan Purdon runners in Oz, etc... are all 'Good Value' for that Very Reason.  

[Happy Sunrise]

13 minutes ago, Lightning Blue said:

Gallopers (metro racing) are generally way better value than NZ trots these days

After being in the galloping competitions on here and seeing what is on offer you are correct.

The whole Aussie gallops thing is a much better product.

Are you on the plunge horse at Motukarara today? The Hornet at 4.50, in from 14s.

[Addington]

20 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Are you on the plunge horse at Motukarara today? The Hornet at 4.50, in from 14s.

Hope he drives it better than fav Cabello earlier. 

[Happy Sunrise]

10 minutes ago, Addington said:

Hope he drives it better than fav Cabello earlier. 

So it was you? 😂

[Purple Parsnip]

Hornets are Winners

Go Hornett !!!!!

Edited March 20, 2022 by Purple Parsnip

[Lightning Blue]

2 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Are you on the plunge horse at Motukarara today? The Hornet at 4.50, in from 14s.

They didn't tell John Hay on the favourite about how hard they were trying to win today ?? that was a tough win by the winner CARANA. much more in store for it. 

probably Oz with a big buyer. FireFox 1.49 first up in Oz last night by 7 lengths . was excellent.

[Globederby19]

7 hours ago, Lightning Blue said:

FireFox 1.49 first up in Oz last night by 7 lengths . was excellent.

Grow another leg don't they. Amazing.

[Lightning Blue]

49 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

Grow another leg don't they. Amazing.

Been some rippers of late for sure..... Big race wins to Spellbound, Spirit Of St Louis, Stylish Memphis and more .

Krug a little short of his best. 1 win in 5 in Oz this year. 

and your Winning Galloping Team Mascot of 'I'm OFF N GONE' hasn't quite dominated. 3 wins from 8 starts this year when fav every time too. had a crack in Tassie past 2 weeks and didn't win rather surprisingly. 7th last night in the 100k Tasmanian Cup. spose was just an average NZ performer, so expecting too much ?

[Addington]

19 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

So it was you? 😂

No bet on either of them. i simply cant catch J Dunn and have now given up trying

[Happy Sunrise]

2 hours ago, Addington said:

i simply cant catch J Dunn and have now given up trying

He was in an aggressive mood yesterday. Handlebars down.

But he wasn't alone, quite a few got hammered for whip use yesterday. For me, it shows Motukarara has the best grass racing as so many horses have a chance unlike Methven.

[Addington]

10 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

He was in an aggressive mood yesterday. Handlebars down.

As i said he catches me out too often to bet on him. Seems to go hard at times and soft at others. He will rock will be an interesting drive for him next start!!

He fair dinkum drove The Hornet and Cabello into the deck IMO and did not help their chances

Edited March 20, 2022 by Addington

[Addington]

On 3/21/2022 at 11:21 AM, Happy Sunrise said:

He was in an aggressive mood yesterday. Handlebars down.

So Tim and Brad get holidays for engaging tin lead duel which is exactly what Dunn did on The Hornet and Hays horse Cabello , the difference being Hays horse won on this occasion. No sign of Dunn being charged as yet

Another inconsistency by RIB officials IMO

Respondent(s):
Tim Williams - Driver

Applicant:
Mr V Munro - Stipendiary Steward

Adjudicators:
Dave Anderson

Persons Present:
Mr N McIntyre and Mr P Williams - RIB Stewards and Mr T Williams

Information Number:
A16749

Decision Type:
Adjudicative Decision

Charge:
Race Duelling.

Rule(s):
869(3)(g) - Diminishing chances

Plea:
Admitted

Animal Name:
SHOW ME HEAVEN

Race Number:
R7

Hearing Date:
06/03/2022

Hearing Location:
Mt Harding Racecourse, Methven.

Outcome: Proved

Penalty: Driver Tim Williams is suspended for 5 days and fined $350.

BACKGROUND:

Mr Williams admitted a charge from the Invercargill Harness Racing Club’s meeting on the 25 February 2022 in that as the Driver of SHOW ME HEAVEN in Race 7 he drove in a manner capable of diminishing his horse’s chances of winning by persisting with holding the lead when challenged by MABALENE in the middle stages. The Information was heard at the Hororata Trotting Club’s meeting held at the Mt Harding Racecourse, Methven on 6th March 2022. Mr McIntyre produced an Authority to Charge signed by Mike Clement, Chief Executive of the Racing Integrity Board.

The Respondent had endorsed the Information admitting the breach of the Rule and confirmed he understood the charge and he was conversant with the Rule.

Rule 869(3)(g) provides:

No driver in any race shall drive in any manner capable diminishing the chances of his horse winning.

SUMMARY OF FACTS:

Below are the relevant facts in respect of the breach.

(1) Mr Williams was the driver of SHOW ME HEAVEN in Race 7 at the Invercargill HRC meeting on 25th February 2022.

(2) SHOW ME HEAVEN drew 3 for the 1700 mobile start event.

(3) Mr Williams has urged his runner forward out of the gate and took the lead shortly after the start point.

(4) At the 1400 metre mark MABALENE (B Williamson) comes alongside the leader SHOW ME HEAVEN and is urged to try to take the lead.

(5) From this point Mr Williamson has become active in urging MABALENE to try and assume the lead.

(6) Mr Williams has sat there until approaching the winning post near the 1000 metre mark where he taps his drive up just as Mr Williamson has his horse forward of Mr Williams’s charge but not far enough for his sulky to move down to the marker line.

(7) Mr Williamson has then continued to urge his horse for another 200 metres until he desisted with the challenge which had been for approximately 600 metres.

(8) At no stage has Mr Williams attempted to restrain his horse and take a trail during this period when the opportunity existed for a considerable distance.

(9) Mr Williams’s horse has battled over the final stages and ended in 7th place 6.7 lengths from the winning horse.

(10) The official time shows that the initial 900 metres which was timed in an extremely fast 61.23 seconds. The final 800 metres was 59.76 seconds , with an overall time being 2.00.99, being a mile rate of 1.54.51, a new track record.

(11) Mr Williams had options available to him , which was to restrain his horse to take cover in order to give his runner some respite, to finish the race off in the best way possible which he failed to do so.

(12) Mr Williams’s drive on this occasion is well below the standard expected of a driver with his experience.

EVIDENCE:

Mr McIntyre and Mr Williams were both satisfied with the Summary of Facts prepared by the Applicant. Mr McIntyre stated the Stewards had nothing to add in the way of evidence and they were not requiring to show any replays of the race. Mr McIntyre stated Mr Williamson’s case was heard on Friday and as a result he received an 8 day suspension.

Mr Williams was delighted he didn’t have to sit through any replays of the race again. He stated his plan for the race was to lead because his horse had won all its races in front. He said he indicated to Mr Williamson early on he was going to hold the front and as Mr Williamson was challenging he saw that the favourite was on Mr Williamson’s back. He said he thought if he eased and let the front go Mr Williamson would have let the favourite go which would have him placed 3 back which he considered was not giving his horse the best opportunity. He said MABALENE had raced poorly in its 2 previous starts and appeared to be flat compared to his horse which was travelling kindly.

The Adjudicative Committee asked Mr McIntyre, was the culpability of the incident shared equally between Mr Williamson and Mr Williams. He said both Drivers have to make decisions as circumstances are presented during the race whether you are outside the leader or on the rail and in this case the Stewards’ opinion was that both Drivers were equally culpable.

DECISION:

The charge is admitted and therefore proved.

SUBMISSIONS FOR PENALTY:

Mr McIntyre outlined Mr Williams’ driving record which showed he is one of the country’s leading and experienced Drivers. He said the Penalty Guidelines have a starting point for a breach of this Rule of a 40 drive suspension or a $2000 fine. He said a suspension of 6 days is recommended  and the Stewards realise this would differ from Mr Williamson’s penalty as it was based on Mr Williamson driving an average of approximately 4 times a meeting as against Mr Williams averaging approximately 6 drives per meeting.

Mr Williams stated in 15 years as a license holder he has a clear record under the Rule. He said he wasn’t looking for any deferment in respect of suspension and that a fine or a combination of both would be preferable.

REASONS FOR PENALTY:

The Adjudicative Committee in its assessment of the race, found that up until the two horses reached the winning post with a lap to run, the challenge from Mr Williamson and the rejection of it by Mr Williams was within the Rules. From this point on either ego or testosterone or perhaps just bloody mindedness reared it’s head. Race tracks are a very competitive place and theses incidents happen from time to time but they have a detrimental effect on Harness Racing. Mr Williams’ drive impacted the Owners, Trainers and more importantly the betting public and is deserving of a significant sanction.

The Penalty Guidelines provide a 40 drive suspension or a $2000 fine as a starting point for a breach of the Rule.

Mr Williams has a clear record under the Rule, admitted the breach and has freely accepted, with genuine remorse, that he was guilty of poor judgment.

In assessing a concession for these factors it is helpful this Adjudicative Committee has the Williamson decision to reference. The Adjudicative Committee in that case applied a starting point of a 10 day suspension based on Mr Williamson’s average drives per meeting and allowed a 2 day discount for the very similar factors in this case.

The Adjudicative Committee has arrived at a starting point of a 7 day suspension in Mr Williams’ circumstances based on his average drives per meeting. It finds a discount of 2 days, for the mitigating factors, to be too lenient on Mr Williams and at the same time considers a 1 day discount to be too harsh. Although this Adjudicative Committee is mindful the two cases have to be judged separately it is common sense to appreciate they are entwined and any sanction must conclude in close proximity with the other.

CONCLUSION:

The Respondent is suspended for a period of 5 days commencing 9 March 2022 and concluding 16 March 2022. In addition to this suspension the Respondent is fined $350.

[Happy Sunrise]

11 hours ago, Addington said:

he drove in a manner capable of diminishing his horse’s chances of winning by persisting with holding the lead when challenged by MABALENE 

Maybe they should go back and charge Fitzgerald.

Anything more come of that race and the participants behaviour or was that just gossip?

[Purple Parsnip]

9 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said:

Maybe they should go back and charge Fitzgerald.

Anything more come of that race and the participants behaviour or was that just gossip?

Was it hushed up?

[Happy Sunrise]

39 minutes ago, Purple Parsnip said:

Was it hushed up?

Isn't it everything else?

[Happy Sunrise]

13 hours ago, Addington said:

So Tim and Brad get holidays for engaging tin lead duel which is exactly what Dunn did on The Hornet and Hays horse Cabello , the difference being Hays horse won on this occasion. No sign of Dunn being charged as yet

I don't think the Mot one between Hay and Dunn was bad at all. In my eyes, they had a contest for a bit and then Hay relented. Whereas down South the boys went at it and forgot they were actually in a race with other horses lol 

Carana's performance was impressive, it will be worth watching to see if it goes on with it. As for the hornet, a trail would have been good for the punters in hindsight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Addington]

8 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

As for the hornet, a trail would have been good for the punters in hindsight.

Agreed but Dunn didn't think so and he thus diminished its chances of running a higher placing . That's the  point I'm making. Is asking for consistency a bad thing? I think that's all punters want and deserve

[Happy Sunrise]

11 hours ago, Addington said:

but Dunn didn't think so 

But you are betting on the ability of the driver too aren't you? 

11 hours ago, Addington said:

Is asking for consistency a bad thing?

We both know that is impossible under the current regime. I would like to say they are bean counters who work to the letter of the law but they aren't. They look at races through a completely different lense to that of a punter.

[Addington]

1 hour ago, Happy Sunrise said:

But you are betting on the ability of the driver too aren't you? 

Others may have but i didn't as stated elsewhere. His aggression levels are to up and down for me.

Where is the demarcation line now or as you rightly point out its impossible to discern. Imagine if you are a driver who ply's his trade down south and in Canterbury. Two lots of stipes with entirely different views on the rule IMO

[karrotsishere]

On 3/20/2022 at 12:55 PM, Lightning Blue said:

 and Akuta 

Heard Republician Party slammed him. Haha now we all know Karrots been a cheerleader for wee Republician Party due to Nods connection.

Yeahaa, wahoo! Go Nod & wee Stu aka Republician Party!!!

[Lightning Blue]

3 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Heard Republician Party slammed him. Haha now we all know Karrots been a cheerleader for wee Republician Party due to Nods connection.

Yeahaa, wahoo! Go Nod & wee Stu aka Republician Party!!!

G'day Karrots ! yes Akuta was defeated but you would think still a strong chance in the rich Sires Stakes race next month.

Was just thinking of you, as NICHOLAS CAGE absolutely bolted in at Auckland the other night ( 4 wins from 7 starts now) and proved your mantle as the 'Best Tipster ' on here. !!🏆 (only tipster lol) so we are missing you. Wonder if you ran into the 'real' Nicholas Cage in the USofA ? . I secretly like his movies ! hahaha .

The Aussie's are back this year and about to crush some Nz dreams at Addington with ROCK N ROLL DOO turning up for the Nz Cup !! could be the 3rd one in a row going to a Aussie mantelpiece after Self-Assured and Copy That's wins. (both Australian owned)  a-la Lightning Blue style ! 

[Globederby19]

3 hours ago, Lightning Blue said:

The Aussie's are back this year and about to crush some Nz dreams at Addington with ROCK N ROLL DOO

You hope. Typical Aussie bluster. 🤣

[Lightning Blue]

35 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

You hope. Typical Aussie bluster. 🤣

Nothin' like a bit of 'blustering along' to put the opponents to the sword. As my fellow Tasmanian (Tassie Tiger) and I are doing for the 'Chiefs' picking gallopers too in the spring comp and have cleared out from the field. ( Swords are a slippery, sharp, fickle thing though, and you can fall on them if not enough bluster !!! lol )

 Tassie's are more like kiwis anyway , being an island off the coast of Australia and all . nice scenery lol. 

ROCK N ROLL DOO looks sure to go close Nz Cup , based on his Spring campaign to date. some good wins. will make for a spirited contest all going well.