Gallops costly for Wigg
Auckland horsewoman Cheree Wigg has finished mid-pack at the World Amateur Drivers’ Championship in Belgium.
Driving in the final two of five series heats, at Waregem, Wigg finished second in one and was disqualified in the other.
“You get disqualified when your horse gallops, which means only one point,” she said.
Wigg had a win and a second from her four drives, but two gallops proved costly.
“It was a very close competition in the end, unfortunately the two disqualifications were the difference for me.”
Argentina’s Leonardo Agusti won on countback, narrowly ahead of Australia’s John Cremin, from Queensland.
Those two, and the third placegetter, Samanta Stolker from the Netherlands, were all tied for first after the final race and the title had to be decided on best placings.
Despite finishing seventh, Wigg finished just six points off the first trio, such was the tight nature of the competition.
Dickson hit with big fine over TCO2
Manawatu trainer Scott Dickson has been handed a substantial fine by the Judicial Control Authority.
Dickson was hit with a $12,000 penalty after pleading guilty to a charge of breaching three prohibited substances rules.
This came about after a horse he trained, Magical Moe, returned a total carbon dioxide level (TCO2) of 39.2mmol/L, exceeding the accepted level of 36.0mmol/L, from a pre-race blood sample at the Manawatu meeting on May 1.
Magical Moe’s is the only test higher than the threshold since the next level, up from 35.0mmol/L, came in to play in October 2014.
Dickson had not previously been charged with breaches of the rule, but his partner did admit that she most likely administered baking soda to the horse’s feed to assist with typing up.
Dalgety mare sent to breeding barn
Talented Canterbury mare Debnita Rose has been retired.
The Mach Three four-year-old heads to the broodmare barn after winning four races for trainer Cran Dalgety and driver Dexter Dunn.
Debnita Rose transformed herself from runaway renegade to handy middle-grade mare in her 27-start career.
The half-sister to good winners Chesterton and Glenburn Jewel, will be mated with a leading stallion in the spring.
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