Racing: Sheriff hangs up badge

It's a shame Noel McCutcheon wasn't the stipendiary steward on duty at Te Rapa on Saturday - the Race 10 Congaline inquiry was his sort of thing.

It would have been a fitting end.

The former topline horseman instead ended a quarter of a century of being a sheriff in racing's crucial judiciary by adjudicating on the Noel McCutcheon Farewell at Otaki.

McCutcheon leaves a big gap to fill.

The right temperament to be a respected and effective stipendiary steward is not found on every street corner.

McCutcheon looks surprised when you ask him if he's aware of having the perfect blend of self-belief without arrogance, an iron determination and an absolute desire to be benevolent despite the job description.

"No," he says honestly.

Racing's hard man has always wanted those facing him on the other side of the judicial table to feel they've been treated fairly.

"You have to develop a skill that when people are punished they walk away feeling they've had a fair go.

"I don't like a them-and-us situation, I don't like it at all."

There is not much McCutcheon hasn't done in horse racing.

He was a top-notch apprentice, whose weight problems began even before his apprenticeship finished.

He honed his skills competing against what he describes as among the best jockeys New Zealand has seen, Grenville Hughes, Jock Harris and the Skeltons.

He rates Australian George Moore the best he saw anywhere in the world, but puts Harris on top as the best all-rounder.

He won on 2-year-olds, stayers, sprinters, weight-for-age horses and jumpers and was a match for the best of them in every department. He had an amazing pair of hands.

McCutcheon rode three derby winners, Pep and Royal Duty in New Zealand and Mission in the South Australian Derby, but a badly injured shoulder from a race fall saw his weight balloon and he was forced to retire much too early.

He says he thoroughly enjoyed training and driving harness horses for eight years based at Otaki and was contemplating relocating his harness team to Cambridge when he spotted a newspaper advertisement for a trainee stipendiary steward.

The next 25 years is more modern history.

Losing McCutcheon's experience and absolute talent in the judicial room is not easy for racing, so it becomes important he leaves us with his strongest thoughts on the way ahead.

He didn't disappoint when asked to provide the New Zealand Herald with his two strongest opinions.

He absolutely does not go along with the body of thought that if a horse causes interference and can be proved to be the best horse in the race, then it should keep the race.

The controversial Viennetta group one relegation at Te Aroha a few months ago was a classic example.

In his words: "I do not subscribe to the view that although a horse caused interference that cost another horse a better dividend-bearing position, it was the best horse in the race and should therefore keep the race and not be relegated.

"If a horse causes such interference, in my opinion it has won the race unfairly and acting under the Protest rule it should be relegated. We should not allow a horse to win at any cost and then keep the race.

"I have perused the Protest rules from most racing jurisdictions [around the world] and there is not one of those rules that adequately covers all situations.

"There has been a call for our rule to be amended, however I believe the rule in its present form is satisfactory."

The connections of Viennetta remain upset and are determined that the class mare will not race again in New Zealand.

McCutcheon says his strongest recommendation is that the chief stipendiary steward on the day become part of the decision-making process in an inquiry.

"Protests are not always clear cut and I believe the composition of Judicial Committees would be improved with the inclusion of a stipendiary steward during deliberation.

"Stewards are very experienced at race reading and interpreting incidents on video and would be of assistance in reaching correct decisions. It is imperative that correct decisions are reached as there is no right of appeal from raceday decisions.

"If this practice was to be adopted I do not consider that it would be a breach of the Bill Of Rights, as it would then be incumbent upon jockeys and the connections to lodge protests and in that stewards would not be the prosecutor and judge, which has been the argument against such practice.

"In most other racing jurisdictions the stipendiary stewards determine protests, or at least are part of the committees that are responsible for this important duty."