Racing: Small has penalty changed to large fine

Controversial trainer Geoff Small has dodged another bullet in his long-running battles with harness racing officialdom.

The South Auckland horseman has had a six-month disqualification handed down in November overturned after a JCA re-hearing of charges relating to the late scratching of his horses Changeover and All Tiger at Addington in October.

Small has instead been handed a $10,000 fine on the charge of committing an act detrimental to harness racing for refusing to start All Tiger in the race.

That incident erupted when Small's stable star Changeover was scratched from a race on veterinary advice, resulting in Small verbally abusing the vet via the phone.

Small then instructed his stable staff to not present All Tiger for the race, forcing his late scratching.

Initially, Small was disqualified for six months on the charges, fined $5000 and ordered to pay $4000.

But he was granted an appeal by way of re-hearing and the new JCA panel found him not guilty on the charge of abusing the vet and fined him $10,000 for refusing to start All Tiger.

That abuse charge was dropped because of a technicality in the rules of harness racing pertaining to trainers abusing HRNZ or club officials.

Small found a loophole in the rule because race-night veterinarians are neither club officials nor employees, but independent contractors.

That will prompt HRNZ to re-write the rule to, in their words, "ensure the rules satisfactorily provide for appropriate and professional behaviour to be maintained within the industry at all times".

The victory for Small is his second major win over harness racing officials on either side of the Tasman in the past six weeks after he earlier had a two-year disqualification on a drug charge in Australia quashed after appeal.

He could still face a similar drug charge in Victoria for a positive swab returned by Zenad at Moonee Valley a year ago.

But if, as many industry insiders expect, Small gets off that charge too, New Zealand's most controversial horse trainer will be free to train, just minus tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

Harness Racing New Zealand are unlikely to appeal the decision.