Qld to tighten saddling procedures

Queensland’s chief steward Peter Chadwick will order a tightening of saddling procedures after a mix-up at Toowoomba.

Stewards held an inquiry into how Royal Warfare and Unimagineable carried incorrect saddle cloth numbers in a race at Toowoomba on May 11.

Royal Warfare won the race with Unimagineable unplaced.

The inquiry found apprentice Montana Savva weighted out on Royal Warfare and incorrectly identified her saddlecloth.

Trainer Matt Boland told the inquiry he failed to check the saddlecloth number.

Unimagineable’s jockey Matt Palmer was the last rider to weigh out for the event, and took the only remaining saddlecloth.

Trainer Ben Robinson also failed to check the number he had collected.

All four were charged with negligence and pleaded guilty.

Savva and Palmer were both fined $100 while the trainers were reprimanded.

A review into the failure of stewards to identify the error at the horse check-in point has been provided to Chadwick for consideration.

He will make recommendations soon.