Horseman Suspended Over Gate Incident

Published: November 16, 2017 01:45 pm EST

A harness racing horseman has been fined and suspended in regard to an incident that occurred while he was working during a card of live Thoroughbred racing.

According to an article by ABC News, Down Under horseman Wade Rattray was working as a starting-gate attendant during the Newmarket Handicap meeting at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia when he assaulted a Thoroughbred prior to a race.

According to the article, video footage posted on social media shows Rattray trying to load an uncooperative horse into the starting gate. During the process, Rattray punches the horse in the face.

TasRacing has issued a release on the situation, which states that the Office of Racing Integrity has, "concluded an inquiry into an incident that occurred at the barrier prior to Race 1 involving barrier attendant Mr Wade Rattray and Century Arrow." The stewards found that Rattray had "struck that horse with a clenched fist in the vicinity of the head."

TasRacing has said that, "After taking initial evidence at the race meeting, Mr Rattray was stood down from his duties for the remainder of the meeting by the Stewards acting under the provisions of AR 8(r).”

Rattray was also fined $1,500.

The situation comes on the heels of an incident that made international headlines last week. Thoroughbred Racing South Australia suspended apprentice jockey Dylan Caboche for two weeks after he dismounted his horse prior to a race and punched it in the stomach.

(With files from ABC News)

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