Racing: 'Unfortunate combination of factors' blamed for career-ending fall

An increasing public perception that New Zealand's horse racing judiciary lack training has been fuelled by an investigation into a career-ending fall.

The June 2002 independent report looked into the procedures surrounding the lead up to and fall from a horse that ended the riding career of Central Districts jockey Tineke Balcombe at a Hastings meeting on November 1, 2001.

Balcombe sustained serious spinal injuries after falling from the Grant Laursen-trained Miss Redwood after she had sought to be released from the ride before race time.

She has now recovered, but medical specialists advised her never to ride again or she would risk far more serious injury.

Former New Zealand Racing Conference lawyer Tim Fookes was commissioned by the then board of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing to investigate.

Fookes, well-respected for his intimate knowledge of the rules of racing, found an "unfortunate combination of factors", including a lack of training for stipendiary stewards, was to blame.

Miss Redwood made the field after scratchings were posted by 7.30 on race morning.

At that point Laursen was obliged under the rules of racing to declare a rider. He declared Balcombe to officials without her knowledge, and then left a message on her cellphone alerting her to the ride. He did not say which horse.

Balcombe checked her messages and telephoned Laursen back to ask him which horse she had been declared for. Laursen told her Miss Redwood. Balcombe at that stage only knew the horse as the Festal filly, a filly with a reputation for bucking.

During her conversation with Laursen she became suspicious that Miss Redwood was, in fact, the Festal filly, but didn't get that information from Laursen who later admitted to Fookes that if he had confirmed it was the Festal filly, Balcombe would have refused the ride.

Balcombe later confirmed her suspicions and repeatedly asked Laursen to be released from the mount. Laursen finally agreed, but said the decision was now out of his hands as Balcombe was the officially declared rider and rather than face judicial action himself she would have to get permission from the stipendiary steward on duty that day.

The pair spoke to stipendiary steward Keith Hawea.

Hawea considered Balcombe was the declared rider, so should ride the horse.

If Hawea had permitted Balcombe to be replaced and Laursen had put on another rider, Laursen then would have been in breach of his duty and could have faced judicial action.

Fookes, however, found numerous other rules were at the disposal of Hawea and the final decision was the judicial committee's.

Hawea did not ask himself whether this was a situation he should refer to the judicial committee. His evidence suggested that in hindsight he accepted that he did not carry out adequate investigation of why Balcombe made the request to be released and why she had become so concerned when she finally discovered what horse Miss Redwood was.

Fookes recommended that disciplinary action should not be taken against Hawea, even though his actions culminated in serious injury to Balcombe.

"This was an extremely unfortunate combination of circumstances," Fookes said in his report.

Fookes recommended all stipendiary stewards and assistant stipendiary stewards should be reminded that any request by a rider, whether experienced or inexperienced, to be relieved of a riding engagement on the grounds of a perceived threat to the rider's safety, should be regarded as an important matter and must be referred to the judicial committee.

He recommended the board commission a study and if deficiencies were found a training programme should be "promptly developed and implemented".

- NZPA