Confusion over rule on driver changes

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 8

Confusion over rule on driver changes

The rule allowing for a change of driver for a horse during the course of a meeting of two or more days or nights has caused confusion among trainers and drivers.

Differing interpretations of Rule 253 (1) by stipendiary stewards are claimed to be the main causes of the trouble. The chief stipendiary steward (Mr L. Al Butterfield) agreed that there could be some confusion after he had warned J. J. Thompson, the owner-trainer of Armbro Tryax and Scotch Wallace, and L. G. Curry, the trainer of Armbro Circle, for failing to inform the

I stipendiary stewards of a change of drivers at Adding--1 ton Raceway on Saturday night. Thompson drove both Scotch Wallace and Armbro Tryax on the first night of the meeting, but wanted K D. Townley to drive Scotch Wallace and D. J. Townley to drive Armbro Tryax. Curry drove Armbro Circle on August 16, but was unable to attend the meeting on Saturday and arranged for D. J. Townley to handle the horse.

According to Mr But- : terfield, Thompson and ; Curry should have applied :to make the changes on August 16 or as soon after as possible. “If a horseman becomes ill and is unable to attend the second day of a meeting it is only natural that a change has to be allowed. We wouldn’t order a horse to be scratched because the driver who handled a horse earlier at the meeting was not available because of illness or injury,” said Mr Butterfield. “But if a trainer-driver wants to stand down on a later day or night of a meeting, he must make application and present his reasons for wanting a change,” he said.

“If a trainer-driver comes along on the second day of a meeting and says he wants a change of driver just for, the sake of making a change, then the application might not be approved. But, if he makes application in plenty of time, approval would probably be given. Each case must be dealt on its merits,” said Mr Butterfield. Warning The judicial committee at Addington on Saturday said that strong measures will be taken against all owners and trainers who fail to inform the stipendiary stewards of applications for changes of drivers at any meetings of two or more days. Rule 253 (1), which was! introduced when the Rules | of Trotting were redrafted in 1 . 1974, says: “Save with the approval of the stipendiary stewards a horseman may not be checked out for any horse in a race if such horse has previously been driven at the meeting by any other horseman.”

Previously, the stipendiary stewards had to lodge an objection against changes of drivers during meetings of two or more days. “The position before 1974 was most unsatisfactory,” said Mr Butterfield. “There should be no problems -if owners and trainers make the necessary application for a change of horsemen in plenty of time so that full publicity can be given to the fact,” he said.