Racecourse clerk fined for failure to provide accurate GoingStick reading

Thirsk clerk of the course James Sanderson has been fined £500 for his failure to provide an accurate GoingStick description.

Sanderson, who is also chief executive at the track, had voiced his lack of trust in the equipment, which measures the firmness of the ground, during a podcast interview on April 12.

He said that when he did record a GoingStick reading it would be altered in line with how he perceived the ground to be, based on his experience and assessment with a wooden stick.

Sanderson subsequently said he believed publishing the GoingStick readings would “mislead people” and that other clerks also published altered readings. “I know others do, I talk to them," he said.

James Sanderson: clerk of the course at ThirskCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Sanderson was interviewed about his comments by the BHA in June, when he reiterated his lack of trust in the equipment, stating that since April different people using the GoingStick had got different readings for the same part of the racecourse.

According to findings published on the disciplinary panel website on Tuesday, Sanderson said the reporting of this data would be “unhelpful to punters, as far as I’m concerned it’s unhelpful to everyone. It’s unhelpful to trainers declaring as well.”

The BHA said Sanderson had posted a deliberately incorrect GoingStick reading on April 12, recording it publicly as 7.6 when the actual reading had been 8.6, and that he had “not been truthful and accurate in his findings of the GoingStick reading”.

Thirsk: the GoingStick reading for the track's meeting on April 12 was found to be incorrectCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

In addition, Sanderson’s limited use of the equipment had prevented a build-up of data that could be used to determine whether the readings were not aligned with ground conditions, and that he had not undergone any additional training in using the GoingStick after developing his concerns about its accuracy.

Adjudicating panel member Philippa Charles said: “It is clear from Mr Sanderson’s candid interview with the BHA that he regards the GoingStick process as flawed and inferior to his experienced view of the going. The BHA do not challenge his experience or ability to assess the going.

“Despite Mr Sanderson’s apparent concern about the accuracy of the GoingStick system, it is nevertheless the case that it is a requirement of BHAGI (British Horseracing Authority General Instructions) that it be used, and a requirement of the rules that the data generated by it is returned faithfully to the BHA.”

Sanderson has been an accredited clerk of the course since 1995, and at Thirsk since 2014.

Read these next:

Senior racecourse officials enter GoingStick row to defend clerk over manipulation of readings 

NTF alarmed after clerk's 'inaccurate and condescending' comments on GoingStick readings 

'If we published the readings they would be misleading' - clerk defends decision to amend GoingStick reports before release  

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