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Letter of the Week

Use it or lose it

 

The winner of race five at Morphettville on Saturday August 25, Roccin Jo, survived a protest lodged by Lloyd Kennewell, trainer of runner-up Rhodamine. Lloyd’s objection was based on Jamie Kah, the rider of the winner, using the whip prior to the 100 metres on more than five occasions. Lloyd believes that it was used on 12 occasions.

The stewards dismissed the protest despite the margin being a nose. However, Jamie pleaded guilty when the stewards questioned her regarding her use of the whip and the stewards saw fit to fine her a total of $700.

The intention is to retire Rhodamine to stud this season and she was left in Lloyd’s care to ensure her career earnings would be more than $100,000 before retirement, with a city win to boot. After last Saturday’s race she remains $3160 and 0.1 lengths short of those goals.

Lloyd was confident and advised the owners that Rhodamine would go very close to winning.

If Paul Gatt aboard Rhodamine had used the whip on 12 occasions instead of four prior to the 100 metres, Lloyd believes that Rhodamine would have been a length further advanced at the 100 metres and won the race by a clear margin. Had the rule been enforced, the protest would have been upheld and Rhodamine would have been declared the winner.

I feel for the punters who backed Rhodamine. They did not collect but would have had the rule been enforced.

I understand that since the rule has been introduced there have been close to 20 occasions that a protest has been lodged but in all instances it has been dismissed.

Why is the rule not a rule? Scrap it.

James O’Brien

Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm

Corinella (Vic)

PS: Congratulations to Jamie Kah on riding a city double.

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