Racing NSW Stewards today heard an application by licensed jockey Nicholas Hall under AR8(ll), requesting the Stewards make a ruling on the engagement of the rider for To The World in the 2015 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick on 11 April 2015 or, alternatively, to make a ruling of any compensation to jockey Hall that the Stewards considered appropriate.

Evidence was today taken from Mr Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer of To The World and World Ace, who was assisted by translator Mr Adam Harrigan. Mr Ikee advised that he represented the owners of To The World in Carrot Farm (manager Mr F Takahashi).

Submissions were taken from Nicholas Hall via telephone from Geelong Racecourse and videos of the race starts of To The World and World Ace were viewed.

The Stewards heard that the decision to replace Nicholas Hall by Zac Purton on To The World was based on an alleged failure to follow instructions in trackwork and in the Sydney race starts of To The World (1 start) and World Ace (2 starts).

Upon consideration of all the evidence, the Stewards found:

(1) There was an engagement for Nicholas Hall to ride To The World and World Ace throughout their Sydney campaigns, including an engagement to ride To The World in the 2015 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick on 11 April 2015.

(2) No conditions were placed on those engagements and no criticism was offered to Nicholas Hall subsequent to riding in trackwork or relative to his rides on World Ace in the Doncaster Mile and the George Ryder Stakes or his ride on To The World in the The BMW. After viewing the videos of the races, the Stewards were satisfied with the rides of Nicholas Hall.

(3) The Stewards ruled that Zac Purton take the ride on To The World, however, under the powers of AR8(ll), the connections of To The World pay a winning or losing ride fee to Nicholas Hall in respect to the 2015 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes to be run at Royal Randwick on 11 April 2015, such payment to include 4.95% of any winning or place prizemoney, in accordance with LR72, won by To The World.