LONGREACH JOCKEY CLUB STEWARDS REPORT 01/06/2002

STEWARDS PANEL: J Wallis (Chairman), P Anderson

WEATHER – Fine TRACK – Good RAIL – True

RACE 1: QRIS MAIDEN H'CAP – 1000m
R Hammond was permitted to ride BUSH HERO 2kg overweight when no other rider was available.

MIGHTY DEE hung in during the race giving its jockey a difficult ride.

SANDOWN STREET hung out on the home turn.

An enquiry was held into an incident at about the 600m where a number of horses were inconvenienced and lost ground. Stewards found that SNOW GOLD had to ease when attempting a run on the inside of LET US ROCK which had to be eased from BUSH HERO which eased form HILDA CHOICE which was eased form RAB’S CHOICE which was being pressured by PAGAN STORM. Stewards found that PAGAN STORM had attempted to lug in from the barriers and despite the best efforts of its rider it continued to hand in to the home turn. Trainer Rodney Little was shown the video patrol and advised that PAGAN STORM would not be permitted to race again until it had passed a barrier trial in company with other horses to the satisfaction of stewards.

RACE 2: CLASS 1 H'CAP – 1200m
The start of the race was delayed when the ambulance had to leave the course to attend an accident.

ELFIN BELLE was fractious in the stalls and jumped awkwardly losing ground.

COLONEL FLYER drifted out on the home turn allowing TOPARILI to take a run on the inside of that horse and cause CIPOLLINI to race wide. Apprentice Sandra Brown was shown the video and instructed to hold her ground in future.

Stewards found that O Galea had weighed out 1.5kg overweight after telling the Clerk of Scales that stewards had cleared the overweight. At a subsequent enquiry O Galea was found guilty of a charge that he accepted a ride at a weight that he could not ride in contravention of AR120(b). He was suspended from riding on races up to and including 15/6/2002.

RACE 3: CLASS 3 H'CAP – 1050m
O Galea replaced by J Kehoe on SOUTHEAST SHEILA due to being unable to ride the weight.

RACE 4: CLASS 5 H'CAP - 1300m
Nothing to report.

RACE 5: OPEN H'CAP – 1400m
CAPTAIN SMOOTH was difficult to load and trainer Bill Trimble was advised that CAPTAIN SMOOTH would be required to load first in future in order to avoid inconveniencing other runners.

GO RADAR slowly away.

An enquiry was held into an incident shortly after the start in which VALPECULAR was checked and lost ground. T Austin, the rider of VALPECULAR, stated that his mount had overreacted to horses crossing from the outside and caused himself to be checked.

Approaching the 800m VERNAZZA threw its head in the air and raced erratically when its rider attempted to steady that horse off the heels of the leaders.

RACE 6: OPEN H'CAP – 1400m
Nothing to report.