Stewards advise that the two month moratorium period for whip related offences which applied from 1 September 2020 following the introduction of revised whip rules from that date expires on Saturday, 31 October 2020. During the moratorium period, Stewards have been utilising the race vision and demonstrating to drivers when their whip use was contrary to the new rules and cautions and reprimands were issued with a number of fines being imposed for drivers deemed as repeat offenders.
Effective from 1 November 2020, Stewards will apply stringent penalties for whip offences at their discretion after taking into account all relevant circumstances including the seriousness of the breach and prior record. More severe penalties of significant fines and suspensions will now be considered and applied to all drivers who fail to modify their whip action and who breach the rule in a serious manner or fail to comply on a repeated basis. In the event of a fine being determined as the appropriate penalty, a minimum amount of $200 will be applied and for any subsequent offences Stewards will apply their discretion with increased penalties being considered after taking into account all of the various circumstances involved.
Brad Lewis
Racing Integrity – Chief Steward – Thoroughbred Harness
