Racing: Kiwi jockey Wiremu Pinn caught up in Aussie drama

Wiremu Pinn won in Australia - but with an incorrect claim. Photo / Supplied

Racing Victoria stewards have issued show-cause notices to connections as to why the 29 horses ridden by apprentice Wiremu Pinn when his claim was incorrectly calculated should not be disqualified.

It was discovered last week that the New Zealand apprentice, who is on a three-month loan to Cranbourne-based trainer Mick Kent, had been claiming three kilograms in the metropolitan area between May 27 and June 12, before it was later revealed he should have been eligible only for a 2kg claim.

In a statement, Racing Victoria said that under the rules of racing, stewards held a discretion as to whether a horse should be disqualified when an apprentice had taken a claim he or she was not entitled to.

“Stewards have written to the trainers and managing owners of all 29 horses ridden by Mr Pinn in the period in question inviting them to show cause in writing as to why their horse ought not be disqualified from the race,” the release said.

“The stewards’ determination has not yet been arrived at and will ultimately be taken in the context of the circumstances as a whole, an application and interpretation of the Rules of Racing, and having taken into account each submission from trainers and managing owners.

“Should, on the completion of their inquiry, the stewards determine that a horse ought to be disqualified, the question of recovery of prizemoney awarded for the horse’s run in the race would be a matter for the RV Board to consider, not the stewards.

“The stewards will provide a further update once the inquiry has been concluded.”

Racing Victoria’s integrity chief Jamie Stier claimed the issuing of show-cause notices was part of a proper process to help stewards determine the outcome of those races.

“What the rules actually say is, the horses may be disqualified, so there is discretion inbuilt into the rule,” Stier said.

“In order for the stewards to provide a proper process, a very important part of that is ... they should afford the owners and the trainers of those horses the opportunity to be heard or make submissions that may assist stewards in their deliberations.

“No one that I am aware of is suggesting it is the owners’ fault at all, but it is a procedural matter and it’s the correct process to be undertaken.”

Stier said disqualification for those runners deemed to have carried an incorrect weight is a possibility but is far from certain at this stage.

“It is certainly open to the stewards [to disqualify],” he said. “In previous incidents, horses have been disqualified where apprentices have claimed incorrect allowances. This is not the first time this has occurred, but it is the first time I am aware where it has involved as many races as this.

“It is fairness on both sides. It is fairness not only to the connections of the horses that [Pinn] has ridden, but also to the horses that finished behind his horse.”

- Racing.com