Dean Holland holiday for punching horse

MIEL DE LAGO (D. Holland) – proved fractious after arrival at the barriers, reared over, fell and dislodged its rider. Underwent a pre-race veterinary examination and was passed fit to start. Thereafter, after being loaded into its barrier stall the mare reared up and got itself cast in its barrier stall. As a consequence all other runners had to be removed from their barrier stalls. After being freed from its barrier stall MIEL DE LAGO underwent another veterinary examination and was ruled unfit to start. Acting on this advice MIEL DE LAGO was declared a late scratching by order of Stewards at 3.44 pm. Trainer, Mr R. Bruhn, was advised that in view of the mare’s behaviour it would now be required to complete an Official Barrier Trial to the satisfaction of Stewards and prove tractable at the barriers and after being loaded prior to a future race start. At a subsequent inquiry D. Holland was found guilty of a charge under AR228(b) for misconduct in that after being dislodged from MIEL DE LAGO he misconducted himself by approaching the horse and striking it with his left arm in the vicinity of its girth in reaction to being dislodged from the horse. Having regard for D. Holland’s clean record, the low severity of impact, individual and general deterrence and consistency with penalties imposed in this jurisdiction Stewards suspended his licence to ride in races for a period of two weeks to commence at midnight Tuesday, 16 April 2019 and to expire midnight Tuesday, 30 April 2019. Stewards further noted that the horse’s welfare had not been compromised as a result of D. Holland’s conduct.