WHEN IS TOO LATE, STILL IN TIME?

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 15, 2009

As the events on Doomben 10 000 day unfolded, I wondered what type of precedent was being set when Zac Purton was allowed to arrive at the track a mere twelve minutes before the big race and still take his ride.

The late arrival was no fault of Purtons. He was flying in from Hong Kong, had his flight diverted to Townsville, returned after a further delay, and then Purton still had to clear customs before making a late dash for Doomben. Purton had kept stewards informed of his progress and they had held the ride on Court Command for him until the very last minute. The decision was trumpeted at the time as being the right call.

I thought that decision created the precedent that any jockey arriving late – with good reason and having kept stewards informed of his or her whereabouts – could simply arrived at the jockey’s room, present their case in just two words, ‘Zac Purton’ and then proceed to don the silks and mount up.

At Ipswich on Friday, June 5 Cyril Small charged in late with some twenty-five minutes left to the seventh race. He was denied his only ride of the day, and left the track so fast observers were left wondering if they had actually seen him at all. The Stewards report of the day stated, ‘Due to traffic delays, jockey C. Small was unable to fulfil his engagement on Nassavette and was replaced by T. Treichel.

Fast-forward to Ipswich Cup day last Saturday. Anyone who headed down the Centenary Highway to Ipswich from Brisbane experienced chronic traffic congestion to the point where it compromised any travel time-table. Riders were caught in the gridlock. Some made it to the track on time. Others were late.

Shane Scriven was one rider who arrived late. As he was walking up the entrance to the parade ring at Ipswich, the public address system crackled into life and the announcement was made that Jason Taylor would replace Scriven on Ben Hur in the second race.

I have never seen Scriven move so fast under his own steam. That energy sapping fifty-metre sprint by Scriven, carrying his full kit, took him right into the eye of the storm as the stewards report of the day indicates.

The relevant extract reads, “As S. Scriven the declared rider for Ben Hur was delayed on the way to the course permission was given for J. Taylor to be substituted and this change was announced however, before J. Taylor had completed weighing out S. Scriven arrived and as he was keen to take the ride and the connections wished him to ride stewards allowed the original engagement of S. Scriven to stand.

S. Scriven was found guilty of a charge of misconduct under the provisions of AR83(a) for the manner in which he had behaved in the weighing room after arriving late to fulfil his engagement on Ben Hur. In all the circumstances of this case stewards believed that the appropriate penalty was for S. Scriven to be fined the sum of $400.00.

Clearly a grey area has been created by, in the first instance, not strictly applying Rule L.R. 49 under the ‘Jockeys - General’ category, which states, “All riders must be present in the jockeys’ room at least three-quarters of an hour before the appointed starting time for any race in which they are to ride.”

I understand the good intentions of the authorities. I understand their willingness to accommodate special circumstances. I understand connections want to have the rider they engaged take the reins. I understand that punters have placed bets beforehand on the basis that a particular jockey would be in the saddle.

I also believe, with no disrespect to the professionalism that most riders bring to their trade, that a twenty-hour odd flight from Hong Kong, a taxi ride and a leg-up onto horse is not the ideal preparation, physically or mentally for a jockey going into a big race on a horse that punters are being offered a bet on. Neither is two hours sitting in traffic followed by a quick sprint to the jockey room and then a ten minute trot out to the start. Sometimes a substitution can be a smart option.

That Rule L.R. 49 is applied with some discretion would not necessarily be a bad thing, other than for the fact that decisions in racing applied with discretion have, more often than not, proved to be a formula for dispute.

It is easier to apply the rule as it stands - its effectiveness is in its clear-cut simplicity which leaves it free from debate – or to revise Rule L.R. 49 to formally allow the authorities the discretion they might feel they need in governing this matter.

The way it has been working in the twenty-four days since Purton’s flight turned right to Townsville on Doomben 10 000 day is not the way we should continue!