Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards have today issued charges under AR 129 against licensed jumps jockey Paul Hamblin and licensed trainer James McNamara following their investigation into the performance of Hornets’ Nest in the BM120 Hurdle at Casterton on Saturday, 29 June 2019.
The relevant sections of AR 129 read as follows:
(2) A rider must take all reasonable and permissible measures throughout the race to ensure that the rider’s horse is given full opportunity to win or to obtainthe best possible place in the field.
(4) If, in the opinion of the Stewards, this rule has been breached:
(a) any person who was a party to the breach may also be penalised.
In summary, the Stewards allege:
- that Mr Hamblin’s riding of the horse in the race was contrary to AR 129(2) in that he failed, in circumstances where it was reasonable and permissible for him to do so, to:
1.1 between approximately the 1200m and the 800m marks of the race, improve his position and maintain contact with the body of the field; and/or
1.2 between approximately the 800m mark of the race and jumping the last obstacle of the race, to ride his mount with sufficient vigour to improve his position; and
- that Mr McNamara’s instructions to Mr Hamblin prior to the race contributed to Mr Hamblin’s breach of AR 129(2).
The charges will be heard before the Victorian Racing Tribunal on a date to be fixed.