Horse trainer disqualified after ‘disgraceful’ beating of filly
A horse trainer who gave a filly “a prolonged and excessive beating with a whip” has been disqualified for four months.
Several senior trainers at Matamata Racecourse were concerned by Kurtis Antony Pertab’s actions - one called them “bloody disgraceful”, according to a decision issued by the Racing Integrity Board.
Pertab, who holds a Class B Trainer’s Licence, and competed in rodeos, was seen hitting the three-year-old filly, Staphanos-Ashalini, on December 30, 2023 as he was trying to break her in, the decision said.
A senior trainer reported Pertab struck the filly while walking off the track, beat it in the tieups area, and continued when the horse was walked out again.
This included some blows around the head, and “striking it excessively with the whip around the side of the body, flank and across the shoulder, continuing for a good couple of minutes and estimated to have been 10 to 20 strikes of the whip”.
Pertab, 22, initially called the accusations “he said, she said” but later admitted some rough treatment with the horse in an interview with the Racing Integrity Board.
However, he maintained he had to get the horse under control, and it was a matter of perception.
Pertab had been breaking in and educating young horses as well as training horses in work through Pertab Racing Ltd, a company set up with his mother, the decision said.
The complaint about him was first reported to Matamata Racing Club, with the trainer behind it reporting the stressed horse got a “prolonged and excessive beating with a whip”.
When the Racing Integrity Board interviewed Pertab later in January, he admitted he had a whip, and pushed the horse around, kicked it and whipped it on the shoulder and hind.
But he denied intentionally hitting the horse over the head with his whip, which would be an immediate rule breach.
“It’s unlikely but I could’ve, there’s a possibility, the horse’s head’s going everywhere. The horse was out of control, everything’s happening at speed.”
Pertab also denied the striking was excessive, said he was justified for “selfpreservation” and it comes down to “perception”.
Four witnesses saw it as excessive and unnecessary, with one labelling it “bloody disgraceful”.
During the investigation, multiple senior Matamata trainers said they had spoken to Pertab about his manner and treatment of horses, but hadn’t seen a change.
On the day of the incident, another trainer had offered to help Pertab when the horse became uncontrollable, but was declined. Later, Pertab said he wasn’t angry when he beat the horse, but was frustrated.
After some alterations to the formal description of the alleged offending, Pertab in March 2024 pleaded guilty to breaching a horse handling rule, the decision said.
The adjudicative committee argued that nothing justified Pertab’s prolonged strikes to the head, body, flank and stomach over several minutes.
The committee also chose not to factor in a previous offence, when Pertab faked a Covid-19 pass, saying it was different type of breach.
A six-month disqualification was proposed by the committee, but that was discounted by a third after taking into consideration elements including Pertab’s character references, promise in the industry if rehabilitated, guilty plea, support of family and others, and remorse.
The final judgment saw a four-month disqualification which starts on April 18, 2024, to give Pertab time to make arrangements with current clients.