Trainer Richard Sherwin, of Te Awamutu. PHOTO/Glenn Taylor
In the realm of the justice system of a land, it'll probably mirror the proceedings of a small-claims court because of the "industry-type" raceday for "entry-level" horses.
But try telling that to Te Awamutu trainer Richard Sherwin and jockey Jonathon Parkes after they left the judiciary committee room at the
Hylton Smith Stand of the Hawke's Bay Racecourse in Hastings yesterday.
"The owner, Dato Yap, is one of the biggest owners in the country and he's not very happy with the result because the horse has been penalised, the punter has been penalised and so has the owner," Sherwin said, after Parkes and Absolutely Sacred were disqualified despite winning race six.
"He's going to reconsider his involvement with New Zealand Racing," the 67-year-old said of Yap, a Malayasian businessman and racing enthusiast who is the majority shareholder in Raffles Farm, reportedly nestled in the heart of thoroughbred country on the Cambridge "golden mile" adjacent to Chequers Stud and across the road from Trelawney.
Yap is a relative newcomer to the New Zealand breeding scene and Raffles Farm is named after the famous Singapore hotel from the colonial era.
