Kate Goodrich hearing adjourned

The hearing of a charge against trainer Kate Goodrich at the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board has been adjourned.

Goodrich is facing the RAD Board for refusing members of Racing Victoria’s Compliance and Assurance Team access to her property to conduct a stable inspection before the Kilmore race meeting on December 12.

Goodrich engaged barrister Ragu Appudurai late last week and on Monday he made application to the RAD Board for the hearing to be adjourned for four weeks.

Appudurai wanted access to a confidential draft report over battles Goodrich has had with racing officials and time to digest its contents.

He told the Board that as Goodrich has been unable to race any horses after her nominations were rejected by RV following the December 12 incident, the trainer had effectively served a three-month ban which was longer than any sentence she may face if found guilty.

At a directions hearing on January 16 she agreed not to nominate any horses until the hearing and determination of the charge and again consented to that on Monday.

He said the hearing could be finalised on Monday if stewards withdrew the charge, but James Ogilvy, counsel for RV, said his instructions were the charge would not be withdrawn.

The hearing resumes on Friday.