Colin DeFilippi fears the drive on Heza Sport could be his last in the cup. PHOTO: Ajay Berry/Race Images.
The DeFilippi suspension case: Unravelling the mystery of why jockeys get more leniency
By Barry Lichter • 4 November 2022
Harness Racing New Zealand needs to follow the lead of the thoroughbred code and amend its guidelines on suspensions, says under siege driver Colin DeFilippi.
The veteran Canterbury reinsman, who is in the twilight of his career, faces not being able to drive his own horse Heza Sport in Tuesday’s IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup after being suspended at Kaikoura last Monday for a whip infringement.
Under the rules he could only have his penalty deferred if he had confirmed drives in the following seven days - cup day was eight days away.
DeFilippi’s pleas for a shorter suspension and fine in lieu fell on deaf ears and so did his suggestion that he be given a longer suspension to take effect after the cup.
“They made out they were doing me a favour only giving me three days.”
Racing Integrity Board adjudicative chairman Russell McKenzie told DeFilippi he was not allowed to stray from the rules when told the penalty of missing out on the year’s biggest race was too harsh.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, however, is working to a different set of penalty guidelines.
Under its rules, the same seven day window for deferment applies but jockeys are able to keep riding if they have engagements for the next 10 days.
NZTR general manager racing Tim Aldridge said the change was instigated by NZTR during the Covid pandemic.
“The penalty guide, which the code gives to the RIB, was altered to alleviate a shortage of jockeys. That was caused by a potpourri of factors - jockeys coming down with Covid, difficulties with transport and it also coincided with a change to the whip rules when a lot of riders were being suspended.”
Aldridge said it was not his area of focus now but he was pretty sure jockeys had at one time been granted a mix of shorter suspensions and fines to allow them to compete in upcoming feature races.
NZTR would appear to have made another tweak to its guidelines on whip penalties.
At the premier Hastings meeting on September 10, five jockeys were found guilty of breaching the whip rules - and in each case they were fined, not suspended.
The harshest penalty was dealt to Lisa Allpress who won the feature race, the Tarzino Trophy, on Dark Destroyer.
She was found to have struck the horse seven times before the 100 metre mark and fined $4250, which reflected the status of the race.
DeFilippi, who says Tuesday is probably his last chance to compete in the cup, believes it behoves HRNZ to be more proactive in changing its guidelines.
He also lamented the fact the Horsemens’ Association seemed to have lost its influence.
“We horsemen are our own worst enemy. Many years ago 100 people would turn up for our annual meeting, now you’d be lucky to get 13.”
DeFilippi lodged an appeal yesterday and has asked for a stay of penalty.
(more later).
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
