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VICTORIAN harness racing is caught up in a major controversy after the banning of a make of sulky led to six late scratchings in Saturday night’s $100,000 Ballarat Pacing Cup.
The scratchings, including four prepared by Ballarat trainer Emma Stewart, decimated the group 1 event – leaving just four starters.
Avenel trainer David Aiken also withdrew two runners.
Stewards formally announced the dramatic turn of events at 8.53pm – 39 minutes before the running of the cup – stunning the crowd and industry participants on course.
Stewart left the track immediately, with stable staff leading cup acceptors Guaranteed, Philadelphia Man, Restrepo and Beauty Secret, as well as Mister Onetwo, which was engaged in a later race, from the stabling area.
Stewart paused long enough to slam the industry in which she has risen to the top of over the past decade.
“This is beyond a joke.
“This is why Victoria is so far behind the rest of Australia,” she said.
Stewards informed all trainers at the Cup meeting that a model of UFO-branded sulkies was no longer permitted to be used in races after they were declared by Harness Racing Australia to be too wide.
Inspections began at the start of the night.
While some trainers chose to switch sulkies, Stewart and Aiken were not prepared to race their horses in unfamiliar carts.
Aiken, won the Yarra Valley Pacing Cup with Smudge Bromac on Friday, also scratched Cold Sister from the group 1 $50,000 VL Dullard Trotters’ Cup – two races before the Cup – on the same grounds.
The stewards’ ruling, which was based on the HRA specifications, was met by a variety of emotions - anger, disappointment, shock, disillusionment and confusion.
Some patrons booed as what was left of the Cup field assembled behind the mobile barrier.
Harness Racing Victoria chairman Ken Latta was also heckled during the Cup presentation ceremony, with security staff removing one patron from the grandstand.
Social media also fired up, with many questions posed about the process and the timing of the enforcement given the HRA had informed HRV stewards of the issue earlier in the week..
Stewart said they only been informed of the sulky issue after arriving on track.
"It's extremely disappointing."
She said she had won the last race at Melton on Friday night with Delight Me with one of the sulkies at the centre of the controversy and been using the model of cart for six months.
HARNESS Racing Victoria chairman of stewards Neal Conder issued a statement late on Saturday night:
"We were informed by Harness Racing Australia during the week of concerns some UFO sulkies were wider than what is allowed.
"I informed our steward who oversees gear that when next at the races he is to measure the sulkies.
"He measured them at Thursday's meeting and there was no issue.
"He measured them before the first race tonight and found that some weren’t compliant with the HRA specifications.
"Trainers were informed they would have to change sulkies as their sulkies were outside of HRA specifications.
"Trainers were informed tonight that the sulkies were outside HRA regulations because we did not expect to find any outside of the HRA specifications.
"UFO is not a new sulky manufacturer. I’m surprised that an experienced sulky maker would supply sulkies outside of HRA specifications.
"I’m very disappointed in how tonight has unfolded. It is obviously extremely disappointing for patrons and punters, trainers, drivers, the club, owners, sponsors and everyone in the industry.
"However, we are bound by HRA specifications and it is our job to ensure that our participants adhere to those standards."
HRV has tweeted that it will work closely with the Ballarat club to look at how to best compensate patrons who attended tonight’s meeting.
The HRV statement continued: "It should be noted that tonight’s circumstances were completely outside of the Ballarat and District Trotting Club’s control.
"Ballarat, the HRV club of the year, is a passionate supporter of harness racing in Victoria and has a stellar reputation for looking after all industry participants.
"HRV chairman Ken Latta will ask the racing integrity council to review tonight's events to ensure there is not a repeat of the situation.
"Mr Latta says HRV stewards report directly to the integrity council and it would be up to the integrity council to advise on ways to improve processes around communication between stewards and participants.
"He says the board and club appreciated that the majority of trainers and drivers supported the BDTC on their biggest night of the year."
IM Corzin Terror ($9.10) upset New Zealand champion and short-priced favourite Terror To Love ($1.04) to take out the Ballarat Pacing Cup.
Im Corzin Terror led, with Chris Alford out-driving Rick May, who left his move on the Kiwi too late.
Trained by Amanda Grieve at Avalon, the seven-year-old was able dictate terms early before charging home in 27.0 and 26.9 seconds to rate a moderate 1:59.7 (2.9 seconds outside Restrepo's track record.
Uncle Wingnut ($16.20) finished third with Artoc making up the four-strong field to collect $4650, the third biggest pay cheque he has collected since launching his Australian race career mid-2010.