Racing: Waddell faces misconduct charge after heading rival into running rails

Class rider Jason Waddell has been charged with misconduct for trying to run Imananabaa into the running rail after the finish of the $125,000 Manawatu Sires Produce at Matamata on Saturday.

Waddell became upset after Imananabaa raced greenly at the bend out of the back straight and carted his mount, the favourite Naturo, wide.

Naturo sat wide for the rest of the race and did extremely well to finish fourth, 1.9 lengths from the winner Jokers Wild.

Imananabaa's trainer Jim Gibbs was walking down from the grandstand as the field pulled up and did not see the incident.

"The first I knew was when Cameron [Lammas] asked me if the filly [Imananabaa] was okay.

"When he asked me the second time I figured it must have been relatively important and he told me what had happened," the trainer said.

Lammas told Gibbs that as he was pulling up Jason Waddell gave him a mouthful and he responded in kind.

"Cameron has always been a quiet boy and I took him aside recently and told him not to let any of the others get over the top of him - that he had to create his own respect," Gibbs said.

"I asked him what he said back to Jason and he said he told him to go and get f*****."

Gibbs took Lammas over to Waddell in the jockeys' room and made the pair shake hands.

"I gave Jason a bit of a mouthful then said that's the end of it, we don't need any more nonsense like that.

"What I didn't know at the time was that he'd been charged.

"Had I known that I wouldn't have approached him.

"The stipes had clearly seen it and done something about it before I knew anything about it."

Waddell believes the incident at the 800m cost Naturo the race and that was the source of his anger.

Because the episode did not occur during the running of the race, misconduct is the only appropriate rule to charge Waddell under.

Lammas said Imananabaa came close to striking the running rail, but he was able to check the $300,000-plus filly out of danger before that happened.

Gibbs said yesterday that Imananabaa appeared to have come through with no ill effects from the incident.

On a brighter note for Gibbs, Vaalus victory in Saturday's $50,000 Fairdale Stud Flying Handicap means an almost certain crack at the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie.

Vaalu is best known as a sprinter and just one of his previous nine wins had been at Saturday's 1400m distance.

Gibbs believes there is every chance the big, gross grey can manage the 1600m of the Easter.

He was lavish in his praise of jockey Cameron Lammas' ride to win on Saturday.

Lammas said he was not sure who he would be riding in the Easter - he had been thinking he was on the emerging Temple Hills for Lance O'Sullivan. "I'll have to talk to the boss [Gibbs] and he and Lance O'Sullivan can work it out," the jockey said.