Enhanced Security and Integrity Measures for Carnivals
Additional security and integrity measures will see RWWA’s Stewards out in force during the upcoming summer racing carnivals across both Harness and Thoroughbred codes.
The continuing commitment to maintaining the highest levels of Integrity in the Racing Industry will involve the following additional measures which will be in place for the duration of these important carnivals for the Harness and Thoroughbred code.
Those that support WA racing can have confidence that these enhanced measures are well received by the industry and have been proved to contribute to a successful carnival through competitive, safe racing and a level playing field for all.
The additional measures for the upcoming carnival season are;
• All licensed persons involved are placed on notice that in reflection of the high quality nature of the races, there will be no tolerance or leniency with regard to any infringements of the rules relating to handling of horses, interference, crossing, flagrant whip breaches or other related racing matters. Higher penalties and fines (including possible loss of riding/driving percentages) will be applied for any breaches of related rules.
• Stewards will again impose mandatory higher fines for whip offences in any Harness Group race between December 2018 and January 2019 that will include a portion (or all) of the Driver’s percentage in addition to increased base tariffs.
- 1st offence – $600 PLUS no less than 2% of the prizemoney earned by that horse
- 2nd offence – $1200 PLUS no less than 2% of the prizemoney earned by that horse
- 3rd offence – 14 day suspension PLUS no less than 2% of the prizemoney earned by that horse.
- Any whip offence that is deemed egregious, flagrant or excessive may result in a higher percentage of drivers fee up to and including the full 5% Driver’s entitlement.
• Security Guards will once again be in place for all runners engaged in various feature races which include Railway Stakes, Winterbottom Stakes, Kingston Town Classic, Perth Cup, Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup.
• Stewards, Investigators and RWWA Veterinarians will be increasing the level of stable visitations and inspections of horses to ensure compliance with rules relevant to medications and records of treatment and that horses engaged are free of conditions that may affect them performing to their peak.
• All runners will be subject to pre-race sampling with additional post-race sampling also to apply. To facilitate this all horses engaged in feature events will be required to be on course no less than two hours prior to the event. This will include some post-race TCO2 testing.
• Stewards will order the withdrawal of any horse that has been treated, or attempted to have been treated with any medication on race day in breach of the rules of racing with the persons concerned liable to further action.
• Samples from winners will at the direction of the Stewards be made subject to long-term storage at the ChemCentre for retrospective analysis by them or other approved laboratories.
Drivers and Jockeys will also be reminded of the GROUP RACES AND DEFERMENT OF PENALTY POLICY which includes higher base tariffs in such races and restrictions on postponement/deferment of penalties incurred in such races.