Racing: QC to review awards voting procedures

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has started a review into the voting procedures for the 3-year-old Horse of the Year title that has caused an uproar in racing circles.

Darci Brahma was awarded the title after a three-man panel overturned the choice of Wahid by a poll of 76 racing industry people.

NZTR chairman Guy Sargent said lawyer Bill Wilson, a Queen's Counsel, had been appointed as an independent reviewer "to inquire into and report on a number of matters following the outcome of the 2006 Mercedes Thoroughbred Racing Awards".

Sargent said Wilson had been asked to provide a report to the NZTR's next board meeting on October 16.

Wilson's terms of reference include reporting on whether appropriate regard was given to the results of the voting recommendations commissioned under the award rules and whether the three-man awards panel acted appropriately in using their discretion to reach a different decision from that on the voting papers.

Sargent said at the weekend the panel had changed the result because the Australian and New Zealand combined end-of-season classifications had Darci Brahma weighted ahead of Wahid. These were not available when voting closed.

The furore over the awards dispute intensified when the Herald revealed yesterday that the chairman of the three-man panel that overturned the Wahid vote, Brian Kinley, was manager of a horse syndicate in Te Akau Racing Stables, which prepares Darci Brahma.

Kinley, the chairman of NZTR's integrity committee, is the registered manager of The Falcon Syndicate, owner of smart filly Cross My Heart, trained at Te Akau Stables at Matamata. He is not commenting.

Sargent said that NZTR did not consider it appropriate to comment further until the outcome of Wilson's inquiry.

NZTR said Wilson was involved in the racing industry and had extensive experience at covering such inquiries.

Wilson is part-owner of Calveen, who won the sprinter-miler category in last year's horse of the year awards.

- NZPA