ANOTHER COLOURFUL CHAPTER AWAITS GANDERTON AND DEER VALLEY

By Graham Potter | Friday, January 8, 2010

It’s been a tough couple of months for apprentice jockey Daniel Ganderton.

The rider has suffered the physical pain of a broken leg (after falling from Valhero at Newcastle on September 17). He endured that enforced time out of the saddle and then the frustration of not being given a clearance to resume ride by his stable boss (Gai Waterhouse) when he had a medical clearance to do so. That veto cost him a winning ride on Deer Valley in the filly’s first-up run at Doomben when the three-year-old was making his debut for trainer Steele Ryan.

Ganderton was on Deer Valley in her next start at the Gold Coast. The race was not the trainer’s preferred option, but with the trials at Eagle Farm rained off and Deer Valley needing to stretch her legs, the filly faced the starter on January 2. The criticism and general condemnation that Ganderton received following his very ordinary ride that day would not have been well received, but it also would not have mattered much if the episode stopped there. Jockeys do get criticised. Life goes on.

Unfortunately for Ganderton, Queensland Chief Steward Wade Birch was one of those asking the ‘please explain’ question. When the answer was not satisfactory, Ganderton was handed a two month suspension. He was suddenly back to square one, staring at a similar time period away from the action that he faced when he crashed down from Valhero in December. The suspension was due to start straight after the Magic Millions meeting on January 9, but Ganderton has appealed the outcome and been granted a stay of proceedings.

So now we go to Round 3 of Ganderton / Deer Valley during the current campaign. In Round 1, Ganderton was stopped from throwing a punch (the Waterhouse veto). In Round 2 Ganderton was accused and found guilty of not throwing enough punches (the suspension). He needs to land a knockout blow in Round 3 to come out on top. If he does so it will change all of what has gone before into a minor irritation happily served on the way to a famous victory.

This preparation is not the first time that Ganderton has partnered Deer Valley and their previous association has been equally eventful, most notably in the Silver Shadow Stakes.

Such is the way that Ganderton stalks controversy ... or is it the other way around ... even a winning ride can bring its woes - as it did when Ganderton won the Group 3 Silver Shadow Stakes aboard Deer Valley on August 22.

The filly, then with Chris Waller, beat the Gerald Ryan trained Melito by the narrowest of margins, but all hell broke loose after the result was allowed to stand because Ganderton had blatantly breached the new whip rules, hitting his mount nine times over the final 200m, while Corey Brown had ridden Melito within the legal parameters.

The Stewards report at the time spelt out the indiscretion. It read:

‘App. D Ganderton, rider of Deer Valley, pleaded guilty to a charge under AR137A(5) of having used the whip on five additional occasions to that permitted under this sub-rule, which provides that horses cannot be hit in consecutive strides in the final 200m, except on one occasion.

In assessing the penalty Stewards took into account the mitigating factors of the guilty plea, the fact that the offender is an apprentice jockey and also the whip rules have only been in effect since 1 August 2009. Stewards also took into account that App. Ganderton had a prior reprimand for a breach of this rule and that the offence occurred in a Group 3 event.

The penalty of forfeiture of his riding fee and prize money percentage was ordered and his permit to ride in races was also suspended for a period of six meetings.’

That report was posted after a winning ride. The following Stewards report extract, the most recent, was posted after Deer Valley finished unplaced at the Gold Coast on Januray 2.

‘Stewards today concluded the inquiry into the running and handling of Deer Valley in the Coastal Tipper Hire QTIS 3YO Handicap 1200m which was run at the Gold Coast Turf Club on Saturday, January 2, 2010.

‘Apprentice Ganderton was found guilty of breaching rule AR135(b) in that he failed to take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to win or obtain the best possible place in the field.

‘The charge against apprentice Ganderton was particularised as follows:-

‘... when racing some 12 lengths off the leader near the 700 metre mark, he failed to improve into a position on the back of Sweepstaking when it was reasonable and permissible for him to have done so, and;

‘... between the 600 metre and 400 metre marks, when Deer Valley was a clear last, he failed to show sufficient vigour to improve his position and trail the eventual winner Sweepstaking for the purpose of enabling him to come to the outside after straightening thereby ensuring that Deer Valley would have had a clear and uninterrupted run to the finish line. Instead he remained to the inside where clear running was not available and, as a consequence of his riding, Deer Valley did not obtain clear running and was not fully tested until about the 100 metre mark.

‘In considering the matter of penalty, the stewards assured apprentice Ganderton that all the circumstances of this particular case had been taken into account.

They acknowledged that Daniel Ganderton was still an apprentice, but realised he had ridden with success at the highest level. In cases such as this the stewards believe a penalty of some substance has to be imposed to act as a deterrent factor as indeed it is with any penalty.

The stewards of Queensland Racing Limited consider general deterrence has a significant part in their determinations.

‘Apprentice Ganderton was advised that the stewards were aware of the severe repercussions and consequences that were likely to flow from any penalty imposed. However, he was told by the stewards that in their opinion he had breached a serious rule.

He was also told that the stewards were aware he had only recently returned from a race fall and had not been riding for several months.

‘In all the special circumstances of this case the Stewards considered the appropriate penalty was for the riding licence of apprentice Ganderton to be suspended for a period of two months.

His suspension will commence after racing on Saturday, January 9 and will expire at midnight on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.’

Ganderton’s has appealed against this latest conviction.

So it is that every horse has a story behind its name and every rider has a tale to tell.

That the joint history of Ganderton and Deer Valley has more to tell than most is certain, particularly given that both horse and rider are still in the stages part of their respective careers.

Chances are another colourful chapter will be written when go out to contest the $1 million Magic Millions 3yo Trophy at the Gold Coast tomorrow.

Maybe ... just maybe, the story will have a happy ending.

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