KEY POINTS:
The Australian appointed to oversee New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's stewards panel, Fin Powrie, has resigned after less than a year.
Powrie would finish work as general manager of integrity with NZTR on August 17, NZTR general manager Paul Bittar said yesterday.
"Fin wishes to place on record his gratitude to the NZTR Board, particularly the integrity committee members, and also NZTR management for the support and guidance that he received during the tenure of his employment," Bittar said.
Powrie's appointment, to oversee the stipendiary stewards' panel and the racecourse inspectors, was announced a year ago yesterday and he started in September.
He had been director of racing and chief steward of the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA), in Dubai since 2003.
Previously, he was chairman of stewards for the Western Australian Turf Club (WATC) for 12 years after serving as deputy chairman.
Powrie, 52, was cagey last night about the reasons for his departure and his future.
"I have a few things on board and have maintained my position as chairman of the international stewards' conference," he told NZPA.
He said his family would return to Australia after his sons finished their schooling, but could not say whether his next job would be there.
Asked whether he was under pressure to resign, Powrie said: "That is a leading question, but from my point of view, I made the decision. It is as simple as that."
Powrie said he had not achieved all he had wanted, and cited his attempt to ban the use of mobile phones by jockeys at racecourses as one example.
He also expressed frustration at the geographic difficulties posed for his integrity team, with NZTR's Wellington base not "where all the racing is happening."
But Powrie predicted exciting times for New Zealand racing with the introduction of co-mingled betting pools with Australian agency Tabcorp.
"New Zealand has some vibrance attached to what is happening ... and is about to embark on a new phase. New Zealand racing is on the way up, there is no doubt about that."
It has been a difficult year for Powrie, with the recent resignation of Brian Kinley, who chaired NZTR's integrity committee, because of irregularities in last year's racing awards decisions and the incident after the New Zealand Derby in which second-placed jockey Lisa Cropp alleged winning hoop Vinny Colgan had used a "silver object", implying an electrical jigger had been used on his mount.
But Powrie said lots of "interesting things" had occurred during his 29-year career as a racing steward.
He said being seen as an Australian had caused some problems.
"Sometimes being an Australian might be an inhibiting factor ... But I'm actually Scottish."
- NZPA
