Harness racing driver Mike Stratford is free to drive on Thursday night despite admitting possession of a modified whip containing a metal rod.
The Judicial Control Authority's (JCA) decision confirms Stratford was found to be carrying a whip on track that had been modified to include a metal rod before the amateur drivers race at Addington last Friday night.
In the document, co-chief stipendiary steward Nigel McIntyre revealed stewards "came across" Stratford's whip and removed it from him prior to the race start.
Black insulation tape concealed a length of number 8 wire about 330 millimetres long.
McIntyre said the addition of the wire on the end of the whip would obviously inflict "undue suffering" on a horse and could be seen as animal cruelty.
The strengthened whip would be capable of inflicting a great deal more pain on a horse than a standard whip, McIntyre said.
It was an "unbroken whip with a rod on it", he said.
In his 12-year career as a steward, he could not recall a similar case.
The JCA committee at the hearing were appalled any horseman would take such a whip onto the track.
Stratford said he intended to carry the whip in the race but did not intend to use it.
He was allowed to start the race with the Bruce Negus-trained Alexy and will be back in the sulky at Addington on Thursday night to drive a horse he trains himself, Oncewerechristians, in an amateur drivers race.
The JCA issued Stratford with a $1000 fine but no suspension.
At a hearing on Friday night, Stratford admitted the charge but denied knowing the whip was modified when he took it to the races.
During the hearing, he acknowledged it felt heavier than a standard whip.
The tape and rod was removed at the hearing and the whip appeared to be in good condition.
Stratford said a former licensed driver, who had been working his horses, noticed that there was something wrong with the whip so he "strengthened it up" by putting a bit of wire in it and taping it up.
He relied on the former horseman to know whether the modification was acceptable.
McIntyre said Stratford could easily have replaced the whip, even on race night, rather than attempt to add a piece of wire to it and cover it with black tape to avoid detection by the stewards.
Stratford has no prior charges for similar offending but the JCA said there was an aggravating factor of the whip being modified for no apparent reason.
It also said it was difficult to accept Stratford's statement that he did not intend to use it.
There was no suggestion Negus was aware of the modified whip and the JCA decision said Negus had told Stratford not to use a whip as the gelding, who has had 107 starts, did not benefit from being hit with the whip.
Mat Kermeen
Reproduced with the permission of Stuff NZ Check site here