Always back the horse named self-interest, son. It'll be the only one trying
It’s decision time. One guess what it’s going to be. Appeal dismissed is my tip. The Chairman speaks the decision out loud. We learn that the Whack has been suspended seven times previously for whip use in breach of the rules. He’s a damn slow learner isn’t he? Based on what he has said today […]
We’ve just flicked to the Harness Racing Australia website, and guess what the top story is? A feel good story about The Whack. https://www.harness.org.au/media-room/news-article/?news_id=69588 How’s that for irony? Our sport’s latest pin-up boy is a serial offender. A whip it, whip it real good sort of guy. It of course being a horse. Whack told […]
The Racing Appeals Panel decision about Rockhampton trainer Tom Smith’s protest against his 3 month suspension for a sustained 33 minute attack on an innocent horse will be handed down at 9.00am on Thursday. You can watch it as it happens at the link below. https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/fe8e6c51-b24d-4f6f-a31a-197368cb7751@d16de530-94e7-4158-b7e2-6ee220af628d If you can’t make it we will be reporting […]
Trainer Tom Smith, pictured with a horse he wasn’t beating As we wait for the decision of the Racing Appeals Tribunal on Rockhampton trainer Tom Smith’s appeal against his 3 month suspension for beating a young horse mercilessly for 33 minutes as he tried to force it into the Callaghan Park pool, a controversy is […]
Darren McCall this week lost his appeal against a 14-day suspension for careless driving. He wouldn’t have if appeals in QLD were determined based on the Stewards evidence instead of heard afresh, because the vital evidence of race day Steward R. McRae that originally hung him was crook. Mr McRae gave evidence that rival driver […]
The problems with Wayne Haylen KC sitting on the Ben Sarina appeal due to apprehensions of potential bias have become manifest as a consequence of the Principal Member failing to issue Sarina with a ‘Parker Warning’ that his sentence may be increased, and thus denying him the opportunity to withdraw his appeal based on that […]
1. On 15 November 2023 HRNSW Stewards concluded an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding a serious melee between numerous harness racing participants that occurred in the race day stalls at the Tamworth Harness Racing Club meeting held on 2 November 2023. 2. Two participants were charged under AHRR 231(1) (e), namely, that a person shall […]
Warning before increasing your sentence If you have appealed against your sentence to the District Court, the Court must warn you if it is considering increasing your sentence. This is known as a ‘Parker warning’. The Court must give you the opportunity to withdraw your appeal. If you withdraw your appeal, the decision of the Local […]
Ben Sarina’s appeal against his 7-year disqualification for assaulting a long ago Steward was decided this week, and it didn’t go well for him. We will tell you more about that later. For the moment we want to discuss the issue of whether the Principal Member of the Panel Wayne Haylen KC should even have […]
Last week, thanks to the genius of his barrister Jim “the Magic Man: Murdoch KC, Queensland gallops trainer Lindsay Hatch had his nine month disqualification for a positive swab to cobalt reduced by the Racing Appeals Panel to a mere $750 fine. Hatch, a repeat offender, also had the reinstatement of his previous suspended sentence […]
