THE National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa held an inquiry to probe the circumstances under which the race meeting held at the Vaal Racecourse on 24 April 2012 was abandoned after the running of Race 6.

The inquiry board, comprising Adv GI Hoffman SC and Adv JF Myburgh SC, was asked, in particular, to inquire into an allegation that the abandonment came about by jockeys’ actions which were premeditated and amounted to corporate sabotage.

Photo of racing at Vaal, per illustration.

After hearing a substantial amount of evidence, the board concluded that the abandonment of the race meeting did not occur as a result of premeditated action by the jockeys which amounted to corporate sabotage.

The board concluded that the probabilities overwhelmingly are that Race 7 was abandoned because the condition of the track made it unsafe to continue racing and Race 8 would not have taken place in any event due to bad light.

Upon receipt of a transcript of the evidence, the board will give motivated reasons for its finding.