A harness racing driver has been charged with abusing female drivers during a race at Forbury Park last month.
Canterbury driver Bronson Munro has been charged with misconduct for his behaviour during and after the running of race 4 at the Dunedin track on June 15.
Munro is believed to have verbally abused rival drivers Sheree Tomlinson and Charlotte Purvis.
It is understood Munro was airing his frustration at the tactics the two drivers used during the race.
Purvis took her horse, Miss Fandango, to the lead early in the race and Tomlinson was following her in the trail with Grace Burns.
Munro was racing outside the pair with his horse, Reddington, and failed to wrest the lead from Purvis.
This left Reddington facing the breeze.
Reddington and Munro went on to run second-last in the 10-horse race.
Purvis and Miss Fandango finished third and Grace Burns and Tomlinson were fifth.
It is understood Munro hurled abuse at both drivers during the race after his failed bid for the lead. The incident is believed to have continued as the field for the race left the track after the race. At the time of the incident, Racing Integrity Unit officials would not comment on the matter.
Its chief harness racing steward, Nick Ydgren, confirmed Munro had been charged with misconduct yesterday.
Munro pleaded guilty to the charge and a decision on his punishment could be delivered from the Judicial Control Authority, which deliberates over racing matters, as soon as this week.
Neither Purvis nor Tomlinson made a complaint following the incident.
Ydgren confirmed a similar incident involving the possible verbal abuse of female drivers was investigated recently.
Charges were not laid.
Munro has won 10 races from 110 starts this season.
His winning drives have banked $81,194 for the horses’ owners.
In 2016, Munro made headlines for racially abusing a Fijian rugby player in a game in Canterbury.
He was banned from rugby for 46 weeks.
