Judiciary may have to backtrack over 30-month ban

The Judicial Control Authority (JCA) cannot suspend amateur driver Ray Reekie for 30 months as the maximum penalty for his driving offence at Addington last Saturday is a oneyear ban.

The JCA initially slapped a 30-month ban on the veteran Canterbury amateur after his drive on outsider Zakspatrol despite harness stewards recommending a 12-month ban.

Reekie had Zakspatrol up vying for the lead with Russian Express for more than1000m, the horse hitting the wall at the 800m and drifting out, finishing second-to-last. Stewards charged him with driving in a manner capable of diminishing Zakspatrol’s chance of winning. Reekie, who owns the horse, defended the charge but was found guilty and banned until March 15, 2020, by the JCA.

Reekie was set to retire from driving after his initial ban, but got a call from chief harness stipendiary steward Nick Ydgren to say the JCA could ban him for only a year.

“The JCA can only impose a suspension for a period not exceeding 12 months for a general rule, this is not a serious racing offence,” confirmed Ydgren. “His 30-month suspension is not valid in my opinion. I’m applying to the JCA to have that penalty set aside and a new penalty hearing to be held. That will be at the discretion of the JCA.

“Ray was of the opinion that he was guilty and would cop any penalty that came. But in saying that it’s important that the process is correct and that any penalty is able to be handed down under the rules.

“It’s an unfortunate incident, but again the important thing is that we actually get to the right result.”

Reekie has had 109 drives for 12 wins since 2009 and represented New Zealand overseas at the world amateur championships. He was initially outed for 60 drives (30 months) as stipendiary stewards worked on the basis that he drove an average of twice a month.

Reekie accepted it was a bad drive on Saturday.

“I went out with the intentions of having a go but I had to sit in the death [parked out] and the result wasn’t any good. The intention was always to lead and see how we got on, but it didn’t work out.”

Reekie said the other penalty option proposed, a $3000 fine, could have seen him returning to the track next week if he had decided to pay it. He said a lower fine at the second JCA hearing might see him pay up and return to the track.

Reekie, in his late 50s, has been in harness racing since working as a young lad in the stables of Jack Smolenski, Derek Jones, Cecil Devine and Jack Carmichael.