OFFICIAL TRIALS

The conditions for official trials are as follows:

a) Nominations - Must be to the RQL Racing Office no later than 10.00am on the working day prior or date otherwise specified. Trainers must nominate by fax, email, HarnessWeb or by lodging a written nomination at the counter of the RQL Deagon office. Phone nominations will NOT be accepted.

b) Eligibility - All standardbreds are eligible to trial at any time unless at the close of acceptances any horse is stood down for a veterinary certificate which has not been produced or stood down by order of RQL Officials.

c) A stable return must have been lodged with RQL Racing Office staff to be eligible to compete.

d) Brands and markings will be checked by RQL Officials.

e) RQL Officials reserve the right due to unforseen circumstances to cancel or combine any official trial if deemed necessary.

f) Stabling - every effort will be made to accommodate as many trial horses as possible however RQL Officials may on occasions not allocate them a stable. (Refer to 3.4). Race horses will be given priority in stabling.

g) Ballots - On occasions it may be necessary to conduct a ballot from the trials should there be too many horses to accommodate. (Refer to 3.4 for balloting conditions).

h) The race meeting will always have priority over the trials.

i) When splitting trial fields RQL Handicappers may where possible, depending on time restraints, separate trotters and pacers should there be four or more horses of each gait nominated to trial for any start type.

j) In all cases the split of trial fields and the handicapping of horses in standing start trials are at the discretion of the RQL Handicapping Panel. Where possible RQL will attempt to split owner, trainer and driver doubles. All decisions will be final and any scratchings will incur the relevant fees.

k) Usual handicaps for standing start trials may not take effect as horses may be grouped together to simulate race conditions.

Fees & Closing Times

The fee schedule is as follows:

Nominations and scratchings are to close as per the following schedule (except on Public Holidays):

**Closing times will be strictly enforced

Scratchings can be made on HarnessWeb prior to the scratching deadline, however scratchings can be phoned in on the RQL Scratching Hotline 1800 331 308 or on 3869 9774.

When scratching a horse, trainers must clearly identify the following:

i. Trainers Name

ii. Trainers Licence Number

iii. Meeting Details

iv. Horses Name

Trainers of all official trial nominees are to be charged by RQL a nomination fee; there is to be no pay up on course.

Horses that are scratched prior to the scratching close time will incur a nomination fee.

Horses that are scratched after the scratching close time without an acceptable reason, will incur an additional late scratching fee.

Examples of Fees

If you:

• Nominate and start the trainer will be invoiced $11.00 (GST inclusive).
• Nominate and scratch by scratching closing time, the trainer will be invoiced $11.00 (GST inclusive).

Nominate and scratch after scratching closing time or do not attend the official trials after nominating, the trainer will be invoiced an $11.00 (GST inclusive) nomination fee and an $11.00 (GST inclusive) late scratching fee ($22.00 in total).

Trial Sessions

Tuesday & Thursday (except @ Redcliffe)

• All trials are to be conducted between races and will be placed where there is sufficient time between races to conduct the trial.
• Trials from both the mobile and standing start methods will be available should there be sufficient nominations. (Minimum of 4 starters for qualifying purposes).
• Trials will be placed at the discretion of RQL Officials depending upon time restraints, taking into account other horses trainers may have engaged at the race meeting and any special requests that have been received.

Trainers are welcome to request a preferred time for their trial. Trainers requests will be considered when determining the order for the trials however RQL Officials cannot guarantee that trainers requests will always be met.

Wednesday (Night)

• To commence 1 hour prior to the advertised time of the first race.
• Only mobile trials will be available.
• At Redcliffe due to a lack of available stabling particularly when there is a full eight race card a limit may be placed on the number of horses to trial depending upon the amount of racehorses at the race meeting, stables available for use and number of horses that can be safely accommodated.

If Wednesday trials are programmed at Albion Park or Gold Coast a standing start trial may be added to the program.

Marburg & Redcliffe (Saturday Race Meetings)

• Trials will be conducted prior to the first race
• Trials from both the mobile and standing start methods will be available should there be sufficient nominations. (Minimum of 4 starters required for qualifying purposes).

The number of trials will be determined depending upon the availability of staff, time allowable to conduct the trials and the amount of horses that can be safely accommodated.

Stabling

If at any time, due to excess horses nominated for trials & the lack of available stabling to accommodate them, RQL reserve the right to conduct a ballot.

Where ballots are required, preference in selection will be given to horses in the following order of preference:

i) have not yet qualified from the mode of start nominated for;

ii) the need to re-qualify to race (under bar or have not raced or trialled in over 6 months);

iii) the need to trial to be re-included in the barrier draw (ODM, ODS, RODM, RODS).

iv) C Grade Driver gaining experience required to obtain licence to drive at race meetings.

When determining whether a ballot for trials will be required the below factors will be taken into account:

i) Number of available stalls at the race club.

ii) Number of stables which possibly could be reused.

iii) Total number of horses which can be safely accommodated limiting any inconvenience to other participants.

iv) Time available to conduct trials.

RQL Officials will always allocate a stable to horses engaged to race at the race meeting first and whilst endeavouring to accommodate as many horses as possible, RQL reserve the right to not allocate a stable to trial or education horses if necessary.

Trainers are reminded that they are only to use the stables they have been allocated and should they place a horse in a stall not allocated to them, inconveniencing others, they may be dealt with appropriately by RQL Stewards.

General

In order to avoid confusion for judges, officials and RQL staff loading trial results, driver declarations are requested by 8.30am on the day of the trial if at all possible or RQL Officials are to be advised of the driver as soon as possible on the day of the trial.

Club colours cannot be used in trials or pre-race warm-ups. A penalty may be applicable if appropriate race colours are not available.

RQL reserves the right, due to unforeseen circumstances, to cancel any programmed official trial.

Qualifying to Race

a) A horse must be named to be eligible to compete in a Qualifying or Official Trial.

b) To be eligible for a mobile start race a horse must qualify in a mobile start Qualifying Trial and/or to be eligible for a standing start race a horse must qualify in a standing start Qualifying Trial.

c) If a trial is divided into a division with 2YO's only engaged then the trial will be run over the distance closest to 1609m.

d) To qualify to race, a horse must complete the following requirements within the qualifying mile rates as listed below:

i. In a mobile start - score up without interference to other horses and be in its correct barrier position at the candy pole until the starting point, then complete the trial in a competitive manner without losing gait or rhythm.

ii. In a standing start - not delay the start through intractability and begin at the correct gait then complete the trial in a competitive manner without losing gait or rhythm.

An additional time allowance will be permitted as follows:

• One (1) second for 3yo's
• Three (3) seconds for 2yo's

e) For such qualifications to be valid, a minimum of four horses must contest the trial, unless otherwise approved by RQL Stewards.

f) Stewards at their discretion may make additional time allowances after considering the track condition.

g) Any horse which is presented to compete in an Official Barrier Trial for the purposes of qualifying to race for the first time, and fails to qualify as per Clause 3.6 d), may be excluded from the draw or be stood down and not permitted to compete in any Official Barrier Trial for a period of up to 14 days, except in circumstances where it failed to qualify because of the actions of another runner, and/or with permission of the Chairman of Stewards.

h) Any horse which has not competed in a race for a period exceeding six (6) months must perform competitively, to the satisfaction of the Stewards, in an official barrier trial, before being entered to start in any race. Such horse must also meet the time requirements in order to requalify.

i) Any horse which has not raced for a period exceeding six (6) months, and has attained the age of twelve (12) years or older, will also be required to have a veterinary certificate of soundness provided, prior to competing in such barrier trial. The veterinary certificate must be provided prior to acceptance time for the trial.

* For the purposes of this policy a horse must perform in such trial in accordance with Clause 3.6 d).

j) Horses cleared from other states and/or countries:

i. A horse trained outside the state of Queensland will be qualified to race in a mobile start at a race meeting in Queensland if such horse has raced or qualified from a mobile start in the State or Country where it is trained, or has qualified in the state of Queensland.

ii. A horse trained outside the state of Queensland will be qualified to race in a standing start at a race meeting in Queensland if such horse has raced or qualified from a standing start in the State or Country where it is trained, or has qualified in the state of Queensland.

k) To change the gait of a horse, the owner or trainer must lodge with RQL a written request accompanied by the registration certificate. The horse must qualify to the satisfaction of Stewards on two (2) occasions. Both trials cannot be performed on the same day. A further change of gait cannot be approved until the expiration of three months from the date of the previous request unless otherwise approved by RQL Stewards. A horse changing gait will keep its current assessment (i.e. a C2 becomes a T2, a T2 becomes a C2).

l) If a horse is required to produce a veterinary certificate prior to trialling, it must be received by acceptance time for the event it is accepting for or it will be deemed ineligible.

m) The total of 28 Field Selection Points gained by a horse when first qualified to race will not be altered if the horse thereafter qualifies for the alternate type of start (mobile or stand) in a Qualifying Trial.

n) There are no race field selection points awarded in official trials.