Jason Gates - do the Stipes have a hard on for him?

15/11/2024 - RACE 4 : REF 176 – RACING240 FOR RACING. FOR YOU MR 72 HANDICAP : POLY 2200MAt approximately the 300m ISLAND MASTER (D Schwarz) had to be eased off the heels of MILITARY MAN (S Khathi) when carried outwards by NOTHINGELSEMATTERS (C Maujean), which was in turn carried inwards by SAN QUINTIN (J Gates) which shifted inwards to obtain clear running. An Inquiry was opened with regards to this matter. The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa confirms that at an Inquiry held in Gqeberha on Friday, 22 November 2024, Jockey J Gates was charged with a contravention of Rule 62.2.7. The particulars being that as the rider of SAN QUINTIN, he failed to ensure that he did not cause interference to NOTHINGELSEMATTERS (C Maujean) and ISLAND MASTER (D Schwarz) when he shifted in at approximately the 300m in Race 4 at Fairview Racecourse on 15 November 2024.Jockey Gates pleaded not guilty but was found guilty of the charge. The Inquiry Board, after considering the mitigating and aggravating factors presented as well as taking Jockey Gates’s recent record with regards to this Rule into account, imposed a penalty of a suspension from riding in races for a period of seven (7) days. Jockey Gates was given the Right of Appeal against the finding and penalty imposed.
18 November 2024 – Fairview (in relation to the above Inquiry)Jockey J Gates was charged with a contravention of Rule 72.1.17, read in conjunction with Rule 72.1.18 in that, in an email sent on 18 November 2024, he attempted to mislead a Licensed Official by informing the Racing Control Executive that two members of the Eastern Cape Stipendiary Board were present in the Stipendiary Stewards boardroom during an interview and subsequent offer of an Admission of Guilt by the Chief Stipendiary Steward (Eastern Cape) on Friday 15 November 2024. It was alleged that by the two Stipendiary Stewards being present at this time, that they were ineligible to form part of the Inquiry Board proceedings that pertained to the same incident, when he knew this was not true and/or that is not the case. Jockey J Gates signed an Admission of Guilt and was fined R5000.00 of which R2 500.00 is wholly suspended for a period of two years.

 

Either he is very unlucky, but every week or so he seems to get a sanction.

In a racing jurisdiction where it has become acceptable to win at all costs, i.e. the next time a horse is kept on a straight path to win will be the first time, what makes Jason special?

I have long given up on trying make sense of any thing the NHA does as there is no consistency and an abundance of subjective arguments followed by lawyers and protracted cases.

The one simple question any lay person would ask is, why do all SA jocks that ride in Hong Kong say, "you can't get away with the SA riding behavior there"?

Tigershark....   just perhaps our KAMIKAZE jocks riding skills  in S.A.    are similar to our TAXI DRIVERS in S.A.  who would certainly NOT be accepted Overseas.

I haven't seen the stipes report for Saturday at Turffontein but as an example, Domeyer bumped Atticus Finch multiple times straight out the gates which is not unusual as it is now common to bump or steam roll straight out of the gates. I thought the rule was to keep your mount on a straight path out of the gates and limit interference? The best is when jocks dive straight across other runners, causing interference and then put on the brakes which causes the whole field to check.

Scottsville on Sunday, Patants Heir clearly shifts across, causes interference and wins by a small margin yet keeps the race. 

These are just examples of what, in my opinion, are subjective rules. The only current clear rule is whip strikes and why i have long given up on trying to find any consistency when reviewing decisions.