Stewards’ Report – Hayden Barnes - ONLY IN ROME
Date – 13 March 2017
Panel – N. Torpey; S. Shinn; A. Carter & D. Kays
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission Stewards today continued the inquiry opened into the handling by Hayden Barnes of Only In Rome in Race 1 at Albion Park on 18 February 2017.
After taking further evidence and reviewing, a number of previous performances of Only In Rome Stewards charged Hayden Barnes with the contravention of AHRR 149(1) which reads:
A driver shall take all reasonable and permissible measures during the course of a race to ensure that the horse driven by that driver is given full opportunity to win or obtain the best possible placing in the field.
The specifics of the charge being that as the driver of Only In Rome Hayden Barnes failed to take the opportunity to move the horse to a three-wide position prior to Fiery Blue Chip moving up on the outside near the 800 metre point. Stewards considered that such a move was reasonable and permissible and consistent with driving tactics adopted previously on Only In Rome.
Hayden Barnes pleaded guilty to the charge.
Stewards in determining penalty were mindful of the seriousness of a breach of this rule as it places an obligation on all drivers that they will handle their horses to the best of their ability and to ensure it be provided every opportunity to perform to its best capacity.
Stewards suspended the drivers licence of Hayden Barnes for a period of four-weeks. Acting under the provisions of AHRR 257 Stewards ordered the term of suspension be served concurrently with the suspension imposed on Hayden Barnes for a breach of AHRR 149(2) on 13 March 2017
