Lamb chopped after cup start shemozzle - Ricky Donnelly takes over on Friday

Peter Lamb will no longer start races at Addington Raceway after his shambolic performance in Tuesday’s $540,000 IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup.

Addington’s Racing Industry Manager Darrin Williams said tonight Ricky Donnelly has been appointed to the position of race and trial starter effective today.

The fast change comes in the wake of widespread condemnation of how Lamb allowed the race to start when the four outside horses were already pacing at some speed when he called go while four or five horses on the inside were virtually at a standstill.

It followed an aborted first attempt when Lamb turned the field away after two horses got close on the outside, experienced judges saying the field should have stayed in line while an assistant cleared the pair.

Horsemen, owners and punters were livid over the unfair start, which gifted the race to Self Assured who rushed into line, and while the stewards questioned the starter, they took no action against Lamb, which also incensed a number of people.

Williams said harness racing clubs, like the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, had the right to directly employ any Harness Racing New Zealand licenced starter for their meetings, and the club had confidence in its new appointee.

“Ricky has been an assistant to the starter for some time.

Canterbury starter Peter Lamb“The club wishes to thank Peter Lamb for his service as starter over a considerable period of time.”

Under the new arrangement with Donnelly, he is employed directly by the Met to ensure the position is supported directly by the club.

The club’s action could have headed off a nasty scenario at Addington on Friday as a number of drivers were reportedly planning to not take part if Lamb was still in charge.

News of Lamb’s dismissal was warmly greeted by Melbourne owner Merv Butterworth whose favourite Copy That was one of the worst affected on the inside.

Butterworth praised officials for taking such swift action but said decisive change was essential after Lamb treated more than $1.5 million of punters’ money so disdainfully.

It is not know what Lamb’s future will be at the other Canterbury clubs which use him as the starter. He is contracted to all clubs from Oamaru to the top of the South Island.

Copy That’s trainer Ray Green tonight questioned why Lamb should even hold his job at the Racing Integrity Unit, where he is employed as a racing investigator.

“He’s bringing the game into disrepute.”

In acting quickly, NZ Met officials no doubt had in mind that the country’s richest trotting race, the $270,000 Dominion, is run on Friday - and is a stand from exactly the same spot.