Amateur driver Ray Reekie was handed a two-and-a-half-year ban for an ultra-aggressive drive on Zakspatrol at Addington on Saturday.
The suspension is one of the toughest punishments handed out to a driver in modern harness racing. Stipendary stewards charged Reekie for adopting lead-at-any-cost tactics. Zakspatrol attacked for the lead during most of race 1.
After an unsuccessful early bid to try to claim the lead from Russian Express and driver Alan Edge, Reekie attacked with Zakspatrol from 2100m to the 1100m of the 2600m race. Zakspatrol started to drop out of the race from the 900m.
The pair eventually finished more than 35 lengths from the winners, Gunpowder and driver Todd Woodward. After the race, Reekie faced stewards and defended the charge of driving in a manner likely to diminish the chances of Zakspatrol. He was unsuccessful and was handed a two-and-a-half-year ban from driving by the Judicial Control Authority.
The ban was calculated so Reekie will miss 60 drives. There are an average of two amateur drivers’ races in Canterbury each month.
- Jonny Turner
