Dunns have fines reduced on appeal
Father-and-son horsemen Robert and John Dunn have successfully appealed their $7,000 apiece fines handed down after a hearing in March.
The Judicial Control Authority heard an appeal in Auckland last month and issued their decision last Friday, reducing the amounts to $3,900 for each man.
Panelists Murray McKechnie and Geoff Hall found that the original panel, in deciding their penalty, used an inappropriate starting point before applying concessions and discounts.
They also paid tribute to the Racing Integrity Unit and the Dunns and their representatives for their conduct during the appeal process.
“The extent to which the Appellants cooperated with RIU and the extent to which the RIU endeavoured to follow up the Appellants’ concerns is a situation for which both parties should receive recognition,” read their ruling.
“That level of cooperation is seen all too infrequently within harness racing and the other two codes over which the JCA has authority.”
The Dunns, Robert as the licensed trainer and John as the appointed carer/representative at the time, were charged with four breaches of the presentation rule after Hayden’s Meddle, Rishi and Billy Badger returned four positive swabs to caffeine at the Nelson two-day meeting in June of last year.
Rishi was officially trained by John Dunn’s father and sister-in-law, Craig and Aimee Edmonds, but was under an official temporary stable transfer to Robert Dunn at the time.
Bonds go shopping in Southland
Promising Southland filly Alfie Romeo has been sold and will do her future racing in West Australia.
Greg and Skye Bond have purchased the daughter of Washington VC, who was a last-start winner at Gore for trainer Des Baynes.
A couple of starts prior she was a brave fifth behind Dibaba in the Group 2 Southland Oaks final.
The Bonds have had good success buying out of Baynes’ stable in recent times, most notably with 2017 Inter Dominion heat winner Galactic Star ($309,662).
The leading Perth trainers are also close to a deal to purchase exciting three-year-old Mighty Conqueror out of the Invercargill stable of Mark and Debbie Shirley.
Mark Shirley confirmed a deal was in place for the winner of three of his four career starts and he was soon to be vetted after bumping his leg over the weekend.
- NZ Harness News
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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