Article free to run in Hurdle
He was the medium of much publicity, after his performance when beaten a short head by Captain Cee Bee at Tipperary last Sunday week.
The Real Article was only pushed out hands and heels by rider, Patrick Mangan, and went up 18lbs in future handicaps.
The stewards on the day accepted the explanations offered, but the case was reopened and tried at the Turf Club yesterday morning.
The Referrals Committee, Neville O’Byrne (in the Chair), Hugh M. Ferguson and T.L. Crawford met to consider an application from Denis Egan, Keeper of the Matchbook, under the provisions of rule 27 to review the failure of the Stewards at Tipperary on July 17 to impose any sanction, following the running of the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle.
The Committee considered legal submissions from Frank Ward and Conal Boyce in relation to whether or not the matter could be dealt with by the committee.
In his submission Frank Ward said that the Stewards’ decision could not be reviewed under rule 27, as there was no finding of guilt by the Stewards at Tipperary. He submitted that a failure to impose a sanction only arose from a finding of guilt.
Having considered the submissions the Committee concluded that a referral under rule 27 must relate to the imposition, or non-imposition, of a sanction for a rule breach, rather than a review of the decision of the Stewards on the actual merits of a case.
As there was no finding by the stewards of any rule breach, they accepted the submissions made by Frank Ward and concluded that the committee had no power to deal with the application.
