NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 45 — 30 APRIL 2015

are submitted to it;

(ii) determine any question as to whether that day of racing or any part thereof should be postponed, abandoned or cancelled;

(iii)(ii) declare a Race null and void and if it thinks expedient order that such Race be run again;

and

(iv)(iii) exercise the powers, duties and functions conferred or imposed on Judicial Committees by these Rules and the Racing Act 2003;

6. Rule 604(2) - Control of Race Meeting on Race Day (Persons Warned Off)

NZTR recommends amendments to Rule 604 to provide more clarity and, in this regard, the addition of a new Rule 659 to define warning off. There has been confusion around the exact application of warning off.

NZTR also considered whether clubs should retain the power to warn off (clubs can issue trespass notices if there is an individual about whom they are concerned).

604 ...

(2) All persons warned off a Racecourses by a Club or NZTR, or off a racecourses or racing facility facilities by Another Racing Authority shall be excluded from every Racecourse when any matter connected with racing is in progress.

...

WARNING OFF

659 NZTR may warn a person off Racecourses if it considers, on reasonable grounds, that the presence of that person on a Racecourse may have an undesirable impact on the conduct or integrity of racing. A person warned off by NZTR may not enter any Racecourse when a Race Meeting, trial or jump-out is being held.

7. Rule 631(8) - At The Start

Currently the Rules are silent with respect to horses starting from an incorrect barrier. NZTR recommends an addition to Rule 631 to provide for this in the Rules to read as follows:

(8) If any horse starts from an incorrect stall position, the Judicial Committee shall have the discretion to confirm the Official Result of Placings, declare the race to be void or declare any horse in the Race to be a non-starter.

8. Rule 638(3) - Running Races (Use of the Whip)

NZTR considered a review by the RIU of whip offences and recommended amendments to Rule 638(3)(b) so that whip offences can be more accurately recorded and reported, and reviewers can access relevant data quicker.

638(3) A Rider shall not:

...

(b) strike a horse with a whip in a manner or to an extent which is unnecessary, excessive or improper;

(i) unnecessary

(ii) or excessive

(iii) or improper;

9. Rule 648(5) - Weighing-In (Riders Weighing-in Overweight)

NZTR recommends amendments to Rule 648(5) which is currently generous in that it provides a Rider with an ability (without the fear of penalty) to weigh in 1 kg in excess of the weight at which he/she weighed out, particularly in light of Rule 620(2) which already permits a declared rider to ride up to 0.5 kg over the carded weight. The proposed amendments to Rule 648(5) would provide that a rider who weighs in at a weight of 0.5 kg or more in excess of the weight at which the rider weighed out is committing a breach of the Rules.

(648) ...

(5) If the Rider of a horse weighs in at a weight of 0.51kg or more in excess of that weight at which the Rider he weighed out:

(a) that Rider; and

(b) any other person who a Tribunal conducting an inquiry finds was at fault, , the Clerk of the Scales shall record the weight by which the Rider on weighing in exceeded the weight at which he weighed out and inform a Stipendiary Steward and that Rider commits a breach of these Rules.