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CHAPTER 2
STEWARDS REGULATIONS AND POWERS
PR
1. BOARD
OF STEWARDS - The Philracom Board shall license and
accredit the members of the Board of Stewards who shall have supervision and
control over the conduct or race during racing days.
A. COMPOSITION OF THE
BOARD OF STEWARDS - The Board of Stewards shall be composed
of the Chairman and four (4) members who shall be licensed and accredited by
the Philracom. A majority vote of the Stewards shall
be necessary for a valid act, ruling or decision of the Board.
The reason for any dissenting vote shall be placed on record and
duly reported. In case of
incapacity of the Chairman and/or any member during a particular racing day,
the Racing Club shall designate any PHILRACOM Steward, and in
case of his absence, a licensed Cadet Steward present to fill up the vacancy.
B. STEWARDS IN SESSION - The Board of
Stewards shall remain in session
and shall not adjourn until after the last race, until its report on the conduct
of races held by a Racing Club
shall have been submitted to the
Racing Manager transmitted by fax, e-mail or any other means of communication
to the Commission and to the other Racing Club and a copy furnished to the
assigned PHILRACOM Field Officer at the end of the racing day. The following rules shall be observed
by the Board of Stewards in the exercise of its authority:
1. The
presence of at least three (3) members shall constitute a quorum;
2. The meeting of the Board
of Stewards shall be presided by the Chairman. In the event the Chairman is absent or
otherwise incapacitated, the Racing Club shall designate the Chairman from
the Regular Stewards present and a Cadet Steward shall assume the functions
of the regular Steward who shall have been so designated as Acting Chairman.
3. While
in session, Stewards shall not be allowed to leave their watch. Communications within and without
shall be limited only through the call box or public address system. Unless otherwise authorized by the
PHILRACOM, the use of cellular phones, beepers, and other systems of
communications shall not be allowed inside the Stewards’ Stand.
PR 2. POWERS OF STEWARDS - The Board of Stewards shall have the following powers and
duties:
(a) To
make, alter, or vary all or any of the arrangements for the conduct of any
race meeting under their control.
(b) To
enter upon and control all lands, booths, buildings, stands, enclosures and
other places used for the purposes of the meeting and to expel or exclude any
person from the same.
(c)
To regulate and control,
inquire into and adjudicate upon the conduct of all officials an licensed
persons, persons attendant on or connected with a horse and all other persons
attending a racecourse and to punish any such person in their opinion guilty
of improper conduct and unseemly behavior.
(d)
To punish any person
committing a breach of the Rules, or refusing to obey, or failing to obey any
proper direction of any official, or whose conduct or negligence has led, or
could have led, to a breach of the Rules.
(e)
To determine all
questions arising or objections made in reference to racing at the meeting.
(f)
To order the examination
of any horse for the purpose of ascertaining its age or identity, or for any
other purpose connected with the Rules.
(g) To
order the withdrawal of a horse from any race at any time before start if in
their opinion it is unfit to run or unable to start without reasonable delay.
(h) To
make or cause to be made any test in their opinion desirable to determine
whether any prohibited substance has been administered to any horse.
(i) To
make or cause to be made any test in their opinion desirable to determine
whether any alcohol or drug is or are present in any sample taken from any
jockey, apprentice jockey, trackwork rider, stablehand or any other person
either prior to riding or after having ridden any horse in a race or official
trial or trackwork.
(j)
To order removal of any
shoes, racing plates, equipment or gear which in their opinion is unsuitable,
unsafe or ineffective, and to punish any person responsible for the use of
the same.
(k)
If the course is by them
deemed unsafe in consequence of wet weather or other course, or in case of
urgent necessity, or with the permission of the Committee of the Club for any
other reason, postpone any race or races whether before or after the
commencement of the meeting to a later time on that day, or to such other day
as the Committee of the Club may decide subject to the approval of the body
responsible for allotting race dates.
(l)
To remove at any time
during the hours of racing in their discretion the Judge, Starter, Clerk of
Scales, Clocker, or other official and appoint a substitute for any such
official.
(m) To
appoint any official necessary to the conduct of a meeting if the Committee
of the Club have failed or neglected to do so and, at the request or with the
approval of the Committee of the Club, to appoint a deputy for or assistant
to any such official, or both a deputy and assistant.
(n)
To control the opening and
closing of ticket sales for every race;
In case of power failure or unforeseen incident and the electronic
computer fails to function, the Board of Stewards shall determine the time for the closing of
the sale of tickets, and the signal to start the race shall not be given by
the Board until after the sum/total of tickets sold on each horse has been
posted on the bulletin board exposed to the public and announced through the
public address system.
(o)
On a report from the
Starter to punish at their discretion any rider who has disobeyed the
Starter’s orders, or who has been guilty of improper conduct, and to
prohibit him from riding in the race about to be run and to disqualify for
that race the horse he was to ride or to permit another rider to be substituted.
(p)
If at any times the
Stewards believe that any horses should be required to take a trial, test, or
examination for any reason. They
may declare such horse ineligible to race until such time as it is
established that the said horse has proven worthy of taking his place in a
regular race. This rule is
unappealable.
(q)
To give the starter the
order to start the race.
(r)
To punish any person
obstructing them in the exercise of their powers or duties.
(s)
To refuse to grant any
license or permit to, or to register, any such person under these Rules or
warn-off, suspend or disqualify or place a like embargo or any such persons
under these Rules.
(t)
To complete and sign a
written report (Steward’s Report) on the conduct of races and unusual
incidents immediately after the end of the racing day. The Stewards should check the report
carefully before signing it. This
report shall be the responsibility of the Stewards who signed it. (Amended by
Board Resolution dated April 26, 2002)
(u) If
a horse carries less than the weight it should carry, it shall be
disqualified for the race and the rider and/or any other person at fault may
be punished, provided that a rider may at his option weigh with his bridle or
be allowed a half kilogram therefore by the Clerk of Scales.
(v) If
a rider does not weigh in when required to do so, or if he touch (except
accidentally) any person or thing other than his own equipment, after
starting, and before weighing in, unless justified by extraordinary
circumstances in doing so, he may be punished and the horse he rode may be
disqualified for that race; provided that any part of his equipment dropped
after passing the post may be handed to him by the Clerk of the Course or any
authorized official.
(w) To
order the cancellation of races if warranted. In regular daily double where
several horses are withdrawn from a race leaving only two (2) horses or
starters and the race is cancelled by the Racing Club due to deliberate acts
or negligence of its officials, the latter shall indemnify the owners of the
remaining horse in the amount of P1,000.00 for each horse. The Racing Club, in turn, may demand
from the owners of the horses withdrawn without justifiable cause as
determined by the same for reimbursements of the amounts paid by the Club to
the owners of the entries. In the event reimbursements by the owners
concerned is not made within two (2) weeks, the horses withdrawn shall be
suspended for a period of three (3) months.
(x) To
exclude from or deny access to the Steward's Stand any person not officially
connected therewith, except the Chairman or any Commissioner of the Philracom and such official or
personnel thereof who maybe officially assigned or authorized to be there.
(y) The
Stewards may at any time inquire into, adjudicate upon and deal with any
matter in connection with any race meeting or any matter or incident related
to racing.
PR 3. PENALTY BY THE STEWARDS
A. Any penalty or punishment meted out in a
decision, order, ruling by the Board of Stewards shall be final and executory
unless a timely appeal or petition for review is filed with the PHILRACOM
within seventy-two (72) hours from knowledge or receipt of such decision.
(Amended by Resolution dated August 23, 2002)
B.
The Board of Stewards
shall not be bound by technical rules on evidence. It may resort to all and
every fair and reasonable means to ascertain the facts for a just
determination of the case before it.
C. The Chairman and/or any
member of the Board of Stewards may summon any owner, trainer, and/or jockey
or any party during a racing day in the exercise of their authority over the
conduct of races . During the investigation, the party summoned shall be
informed of the reason for the investigation and given the opportunity to
defend himself. In the case of
jockeys summoned immediately after the race, the video-tape of the race shall
be replayed in their presence; the same procedure shall be observed upon the
request of the horse owners and/or trainers.
D. Immediately after any
investigation, the Board shall sit en banc to deliberate; during the
deliberation, all unauthorized persons, including the party investigated
shall be excluded.
E.
Proceeding before the
Board of Stewards shall be summary in nature. Any decision, by the Stewards shall be
rendered only after due hearing, with notice to all parties concerned, unless
a summary proceeding is necessary.
Before any decision is rendered, the Stewards a substantial evidence
of the guilt of the party investigated.
Stewards shall not sign the log book concerned until after all
requests for reconsideration, if any, shall have been decided or the inquiry
conducted by the Board shall have been terminated.
F.
DECISIONS
AND APPEALS – The Board of Stewards shall, motu propio,
or by a complaint filed before it, investigate, decide, take appropriate
action and impose the corresponding penalty or penalties in accordance with
this rules and regulations on all cases of infractions, violations, offence,
irregularities and anomalies committed during any racing days within or
outside the premises of the Racing Clubs, by horse owners, trainers, jockeys,
Racing Club officials and employees, or any person who in any manner perform
their duties connected to or related to the conduct of races.
PR 4. PENALTY
FOR STEWARDS – For failure to comply with provisions of
these rules and regulations, or with the orders, resolutions or decisions of
PHILRACOM or for gross incompetence, bias or negligence in the performance of
his duties, a Steward shall be punished by a fine, and/or at the discretion
of the PHILRACOM by a suspension or revocation of his license.
In
addition, a Steward who is found guilty of conduct unbecoming of his calling,
unethically rude, intoxicated or under the influence of liquor or prohibited
drugs during the performance of his functions, shall be meted a penalty of
fine or suspension as the PHILRACOM may see fit to impose.
PR 5. STEWARDS CONSIDERATION POINTS
A. In rendering a decision,
the Board of Stewards shall take into account as far as practicable:
1. The
condition of the horse;
2. The immediate past performance
and running habits of the horse;
3. The riding style, ability and
immediate past performance of the jockey;
4. The general reputation of the
horse owner, jockey and/or trainer (stable factor);
5. Such other matters officially
brought to the knowledge of the Board that could aid it in arriving at a just
determination of the case.
B. DecisionS - The majority
vote of the members present shall constitute a valid decision. In the event
of a tie in the votes cast, the case shall be resolved in favor of the party
under investigation. The decision
of the Board shall be recorded in the log book in detail; dissenting votes
shall likewise be recorded and duly signed by the dissenting member.
C. THERE SHALL BE NO RIGHT OF
APPEAL AGAINST A DECISION OF THE STEWARDS IN CONNECTION WITH:
1. Any
protest or objection against placed horses arising out of an incident or
incidents occurring during the running of the race; or
2. A
disability imposed on a horse which provides that such horse shall pass a
specified trial, test or examination; or
3. The
eligibility of any horse to run in any race; or
4. A
declaration under “UNFAIR START”.
5. Horses
suffered epistaxis (nosebleeding).
(Amended
by Resolution dated July 26, 2002)
D. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF
ANY SUSPENSION - Public
announcement of suspensions or other penalties shall be made by the Board of
Stewards, through the public address system, as well as the television and
radio coverage’s. Any
incident or suspension meted to a horse or a jockey considered as 1st, 2nd,
3rd or 4th favorite in the race must be properly announced to the betting
public.
E. CLUBS TO KEEP RECORDS - Consequently, it shall be incumbent upon the club to keep a
record of the performance of each horse, including such details as the use of blinkers, kind of bit,
the length or rein, the type of racing plates used in races wherein it has
won or placed (earned prize) and also a record of each jockey with regards to
his riding style, ability and performance, shall be on file for ready
reference.
F. COMPENSATION – The compensation
of the Stewards shall be for the account of the Racing Clubs.
G. STEWARDS CANNOT BE HANDICAPPERS –
Stewards cannot be Handicappers nor assume other positions, except as Judges
in the event of the temporary incapacity of the latter, provided, they are so
separately licensed as such.
PR 6. OFFICIALS PERMITTED IN THE STEWARDS’ STAND
A. Only the following
persons shall be permitted to be present in the Stewards’ Stand:
1. The Racing Stewards;
2. The
Judges of the Races;
3. The
Trainee Stewards;
4.
The Secretary and/or
Clerk assigned to duty;
5.
Racing Officials of the
day;
6.
Chief Racing Officer
(PHILRACOM);
7.
As well as officials or
personnel of the Commission only who have official business with the Stewards
or Judges.
B. CADET
STEWARDS - Duties shall be as
follows:
1. To
sit with the Board of Stewards during racing days and assist in the conduct
of race meetings. (SEE POSITION
DESCRIPTION)
C. PADDOCK STEWARDS - During race days, there shall be at least two (2) licensed
Paddock Stewards who shall be the Officer-In-Charge of the Saddling Paddock
whose functions and duties are as listed. (SEE POSITION DESCRIPTION)
PR 7. DRESS CODE IN THE STEWARDS’ STAND - All Racing Officials in
the Stewards’ Stand must be properly attired at all times by wearing
either barong tagalog, shirt and tie or polo barong.
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