Latest news with #disqualification
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Exiled Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir loses appeal against terms of disqualification
Exiled Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir has unsuccessfully appealed the terms of a two-year disqualification for using an electric device on horses. Supreme Court Justice Finanzio delivered the judgement on Monday. Weir received a further two-year disqualification in July last year from the Victorian Racing Tribunal in relation to the historic animal cruelty charges. The sanction banished Weir from working with racehorses in any capacity until to September 2026. The September 2024 start date had taken into account Weir operated a successful pre-training business prior to the matter finally going through the VRT process. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Conditions of a disqualification, under Australian racing rules, include a person cannot profit from the industry during the set period. Therefore, the VRT had no choice but to start the new disqualification at the conclusion of the new Weir matter last year. Supreme Court Justice Finanzio could not be satisfied – on five grounds advanced by Weir – that the VRT erred on legal grounds in its decision. The Weir defence, heard by Justice Finanzio in April, revolved around 'double punishment', 'special circumstances' and 'unreasonable penalty'. Justice Finanzio endorsed the VRT process and decision across all three grounds for the Weir appeal. 'It's true while unlicensed he was not able to fully participate in the racing industry as a horse trainer but it remained the case he was entitled to do things and did that a disqualified person would be prohibited from doing, such it was open to the tribunal to treat that as not counting towards disqualification,' Justice Finanzio said. 'The tribunal had discretion to consider all of these matters in setting the period for disqualification and commencement of that period. '[The tribunal] Exercised that discretion in a way that is free from legal error.' Weir originally served a four-year disqualification, February 2019 to 2023, for the possession of electronic devices. Racing Victoria reopened its inquiry into the jigger scandal – mothballed pending any new information – when Victoria Police in late 2023 tendered video footage of Weir using the jiggers on three horses in 2018 as evidence in a related criminal proceeding before the Magistrates' Court. RV laid additional animal cruelty charges the following year, around the use of the jiggers.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cole Hammer: 'Right thing' to turn self in for advice-giving, resulting in pair of DQ's at KFT event
Cole Hammer had never been disqualified from a tournament in his life. Until Friday, that is, when the 25-year-old Korn Ferry Tour pro called what ended up being a rules violation on himself during this week's Memorial Health Championship in Springfield, Illinois. Hammer's admission to rules officials eventually resulted in the disqualification of both Hammer and Hammer's playing competitor, Nelson Ledesma, after it was determined that Hammer had violated Rule 10.2a, which prohibits players from giving or asking for advice from anyone other than their caddie. Advertisement The incident occurred during Thursday's first round on the par-3 17th hole at Panther Creek Country Club. Hammer had just hit 4-iron onto the green on the 232-yard hole and was watching his ball still in motion when he started walking toward his bag. That's when, according to Hammer, he crossed paths with Ledesma's caddie, Nico Torres, who then flashed four fingers, a universal signal for, '4-iron?' 'Out of instinct, I flashed '4' as well,' Hammer told via phone on Friday afternoon. 'It was a heat-of-the-moment thing, and I didn't think a whole lot about it until after the round.' That evening, Hammer reached out to a few peers for their opinion. Most felt like he was in the clear. After all, the rule against giving advice is often broken in professional golf, and usually without punishment. When caddies for Brooks Koepka and Gary Woodland were scrutinized by those who felt they violated the rule during the 2023 Masters – rules officials determined they did not – Golf Channel analyst Paul McGinley called advice-giving 'not a serious breach among players,' adding, 'This is common practice on Tour. Whether you like it or not, it's common practice. It happens in every professional tournament around the world. It's not obvious always, so blatant.' One well-known PGA Tour veteran even texted Hammer on Thursday night, saying, basically, This happens every single day on Tour. Advertisement But even then, Hammer was unsure that he could simply brush it off. 'I feel like I know the rules really well, and I've always tried to uphold them to the best of my ability,' Hammer said. 'It just didn't sit right with me last night, and when I woke up this morning, I felt compelled to go talk to the rules official and tell him what had happened.' Hammer sought out KFT rules official Claudio Rivas, who told Hammer he would get back with him after gathering more facts and meeting with chief referee Jordan Harris and a USGA representative to determine the proper course of action. Hammer shared with Rivas that he also didn't know if Torres had even seen his hand signal. Hammer added that he didn't alert Ledesma or Torres at the time because he didn't want to cause unnecessary worry if there ended up being no infraction. 'I didn't think that they would be disqualified,' Hammer said. 'I just thought since I was the one who gave the sign that I would be disqualified. And I thought that was worst-case scenario.' Advertisement Rule 10.2a fully states: During a round, you must not: 1. Give advice to anyone in the competition who is playing on the course; 2. Ask anyone for advice, other than your caddie; 3. Touch another player's equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player. The penalty is usually the general penalty of two strokes, but because Hammer and Ledesma had already signed their scorecards – Hammer for a 2-under 69, Ledesma for 73 – they were subject to disqualification under Rule 3.3. It took several hours for a final decision to be made, with the disqualification not coming until Hammer and Ledesma were six holes into their second rounds. Hammer had made a bogey to drop to 1 under while Ledesma was still 2 over for the tournament; the cut line is currently projected at 4 under. The Korn Ferry Tour confirmed the reason for disqualification but did not provide further details. Advertisement Ledesma's response to which was then translated to English: 'The decision made is the correct one, according to the rules. I can't do much with it except accept it.' Ledesma, who speaks little English, added that Torres was 'shocked by the situation,' but accepted the mistake. 'I feel a lot better now that I at least got it off my chest because it was weighing me down,' Hammer said. 'It's just unfortunate that it's a caused a little storm around the tournament.' As for Hammer, he entered the week No. 73 in points. His T-23 last week in Wichita, Kansas, snapped a string of six straight missed cuts. Ledesma, 34, is No. 102 in points. 'This is something that's so abnormal to experience in a tournament, so I'm almost just going to have to cast it away like nothing happened,' Hammer said. 'It's a learning experience, and I think I'm in a better head space having called it on myself. … I'm by no means depressed about the outcome or nervous about the next stretch. If anything, I can play with a clean slate and a clear conscious and hopefully continue the play that I had in Wichita. 'There are plenty of events left, and I felt like doing the right thing and protecting the game would be better for me in the long run.'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Former Hall of Fame trainer takes aim at integrity officials in fight to resume training career
Former Hall of Fame greyhound trainer and convicted live baiter Ron Ball issued a stinging broadside to Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) officials in a last-ditch attempt to return to the industry this week. Ball, who prepared the great Flying Amy during his six-decade training career, fronted the Queensland Racing Appeals Panel on Thursday in a bid to have a ten-year disqualification overturned. 83-year-old Ball was handed a life-ban for live baiting in 2015 before the penalty was sensationally slashed to 10-years on appeal, opening the door for a potential 2025 return to the training fold. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! But in the lead up to the decade long ban expiring last month, QRIC officials disqualified Ball for a further 10-years, after he was found to be on the property and handling greyhounds of his partner and then licenced person Serena Lawrance back in October, 2022. 'They call themselves QRIC but it should just be QRC because the I stands for integrity and they don't have any,' Ball blasted at Thursday's appeal hearing. 'I served my 10 year punishment and when I go to make inquiries about reapplying for my licence, a matter from 2022 gets raised and dealt with without any communication with me at all. 'It just suits a narrative to keep me out of the industry. I believe I'm being discriminated and victimised against, it's unjust and excessive.' Ball went on to raise uncontested evidence from an internal QRIC review in 2022 after his partner Serena Lawrance's initial 18-month disqualification for allowing Ball onto her property was extended to 30 months. 'In that review, the body cameras worn by the QRIC inspectors were provided where they said words to the effect of 'she's not as fat as you said she was' as Serena was going to open the gate for them,' Ball said. When Panel Chair Kerry O'Brien quizzed Ball on the relevance of that to this appeal, Ball said that 'it spoke to the way they've been treated.' In response to Ball's representations, QRIC's legal representatives argued that stewards were well within their rights to impose the further penalty under Greyhounds Australasia (GA) Rule 179. The rule allows for the recommencement of a penalty if a person is found to have breached the rules while disqualified. 'Mr Ball failed to comply with the conditions of his warning off period,' QRIC's legal team said. 'If Mr Ball had welfare concerns about the greyhounds he should have raised those concerns with QRIC in the first instance. 'But instead Mr Ball chose to breach GA rule 178 which serves as a serious regulatory tool to safeguard the industry. 'He has demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance with the rules.' In return, Judge O'Brien said he was 'troubled' by the way in which the penalty had been handed down. 'Generally there would be a charge, submissions and the chance to respond before reaching a conclusion,' Judge O'Brien said. 'I accept there must be a consequence but there has been no charge issued in respect to rule 179 and no inquiry held. 'It was just concluded that Mr. Ball would be given 10 years.' The Appeals Panel said it was also reasonable for Mr Ball to accept correspondence from QRIC in April, 2024 that he would be free to reapply for his licence in 2025. 'Mr Ball isn't a lawyer,' Judge O'Brien said. 'In that correspondence there's no hint of a further breach and he has read the letter as any reasonable person would.' The Appeals Panel has reserved their decision until July 7.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Queensland trainer Nick Walsh withdraw appeal against 12-month disqualification over anabolic steroid charge
A Queensland trainer has withdrawn his appeal into a 12-month disqualification, in a case where an anabolic steroid had been detected in one of his horses. Earlier this month, Rockhampton trainer Nick Walsh was slapped with a 12-month bans by racing stewards. It related to the anabolic steroid Stanozolol being detected twice in out of competition testing and once in post race testing in the racehorse Sailor's Rum. It is a landmark case, given that Racenet understands it is the first time Stanozolol has been detected in a Queensland thoroughbred racehorse since a total ban on anabolic steroids in racehorses was introduced in 2014. Walsh was renowned for his outstanding career strike rate of 32 per cent – and in the 2022/23 season Walsh-trained horses won at an amazing strike rate of 42.7 per cent. Walsh had lodged an appeal where he had been set to argue the 12-month penalty was excessive. However, his legal counsel Gabe Hutchinson confirmed to Racenet on Wednesday that the trainer had signed papers to withdraw the appeal. Walsh will step away from racing in the next 12 months and it is understood he has gained employment in another industry.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-Tory councillor banned after saying white men should have black slaves
A former councillor who sent a racist message saying white men should have black slaves has been disqualified from serving on any authority for four years. Andrew Edwards, who had served as Tory member of Pembrokeshire County Council representing the Prendergast ward, stepped down in December 2024 and has now been found to have breached the code of conduct. He had left the Conservatives in 2023 when the 16-second recording first emerged, with Edwards previously claiming that it was a 'deep fake' created with malicious intent. In the recording, the person can be heard saying: "Nothing wrong with the skin colour at all. "I think all white men should have a black man as a slave or black woman as a slave, you know. "There's nothing wrong with skin colour, it's just that they're lower class than us white people." Am investigation by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales found that 'on balance' it was his voice on the recording, and referred the case to the Adjudication Panel for Wales. The businessman had also admitted sharing council information and comments about the public to his partner, saying he was 'venting' while under personal pressure. Having been banned for four years, he has the right to appeal the decision of the Adjudication Panel to the High Court. Independent candidate Alun Wills won the Prendergast ward following a by-election in February.
