The Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards advise that effective from 1 March 2021 Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 119B will be uniformly enforced.
Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 119B states:
AHRR 119B. Unless the Stewards otherwise approve, a horse shall not be eligible to be nominated for a race unless the horse has been trained by a licensed trainer for not less than 28 days immediately prior to the date fixed for nomination.
The application of AHRR 119B will be determined via the date a Stable Return is lodged for a horse. Failure to lodge an approved Stable Return for a horse at least 28 days prior to a horse being nominated to race, will result in the horse being deemed ineligible for nomination.
The enforcement of AHRR 119B reinforces the obligation of a trainer to notify within 24 hours of any horse entering or leaving their stable. The notification must be made immediately in circumstances where a horse is nominated to race.
The relevant HRV Policy states:
RULE 25 – POLICY
A Trainer must within 24 hours of a horse entering their stable lodge a stable return via HarnessWeb or in writing to HRV except in circumstances where a horse is to be, or has been, nominated for a race where a stable return must be lodged immediately.
RULE 119 – POLICY
A Trainer must within 24 hours of a horse leaving their stable notify such occurrence via HarnessWeb or in writing to HRV except in circumstances where a horse is to be, or has been, nominated for a race where notification must be lodged immediately.
Trainers are reminded that the lodgement of a Stable Return must also be completed for horses that are unnamed.
For all imported horses (entering from New Zealand etc.), the date upon its arrival to Victoria would be considered Day 1 when not in the care of a Trainer as evidenced by an approved Stable Return. In the event that a Trainer is unable to lodge a Stable Return due to the clearance process, Trainers are to provide HRV Stewards or the HRV Racing Office with written notice of the horse entering their stable. Such notice can be provided via email: integrity@hrv.org.au and/or racing@hrv.org.au
For further clarity, in circumstances where a horse has been transferred between trainers but there is a gap between the horse leaving one trainer and entering the care of another, as evidenced by an approved Stable Return, the horse will be considered ineligible for that period of time up to a maximum of 28 days.
For example;
Trainer A – Removed from stable on 1 March 2021 (after 28 continuous days) as evidence by Stable Return
No Stable Return is lodged for 10 Days
Trainer B – Entered stable and Stable Return lodged on 10 March 2021
Horse will not be eligible for nomination for 10 days following 10 March 2021.
Any queries please contact the HRV Integrity Department on (03) 8378 0200.