Today's Horse Racing

[jamesedwards]

Any update on what is happening?

Stewards Enquiry.

Only half the runners raced. The other half stopped just after the start. To add confusion all fences in the home straight, where the race started, were dolled off so there were people waving flags all over the place.

Someone's got it wrong. Most likely either those who completed will be in trouble or those who stopped will be in trouble. Who would be a jockey?

Rule of thumb, is to lay everything at 1.01 when this sort of thing happens.

Result stands, so presumably there was no recall. The jockeys who stopped were possibly confused by the dolled fence flags?

[MrJoeBlack]

This is the sort of thing that brings the game into disrepute. How can that result possibly stand?? Surely, as a minimum, they should be declared non runners.

[jamesedwards]

They're dolling off all the home straight fences for the next race now too due to low sun.

At what point does enough become enough with this low sun nonsense? Why has it suddenly become a problem in the last decade or so? Was there never any low sun between 1792 and 2010?

If the race cannot be run due to low sun then void the race. I bet the problem would miraculously disappear then.

[jamesedwards]

Chaotic afternoon racing continues as the loose horse causes mayhem in the Leicester 14:09, almost carrying Manganese out and bringing him to a stop, but David Bass gets him going again, only to run on and get up in the dying strides to beat the odds on fav. £2.6k traded at 1.01 on the eventual 2nd.

[Euler]

They're dolling off all the home straight fences for the next race now too due to low sun.

At what point does enough become enough with this low sun nonsense? Why has it suddenly become a problem in the last decade or so? Was there never any low sun between 1792 and 2010?

If the race cannot be run due to low sun then void the race. I bet the problem would miraculously disappear then.

It makes a farce of the race. You price up a market or work out the pace, and then the complexion completely changes.

[MrJoeBlack]

I think it makes it incredibly difficult to do anything in running with any confidence.

[jamesedwards]

I think it makes it incredibly difficult to do anything in running with any confidence.

It's the pre-off punters and market makers that it hits the most. At least for those betting just before the off and in-running know the score when they bet. I'm surprised the bookies stand for it.

[MrJoeBlack]

That's what I mean. If you have made a market and are then looking to tidy and hedge your positions it just doesn't work. 99% you wouldn't be going in play but a race of that length gives you some options. I also think, with the new rules around non runners who don't jump off, it just doesn't look good - you'd just like a fair crack at it.

I'm also an advocate for common sense - anyone looking at that races understands the horses who ran and those who did not. By declaring them PU it just undermines the integrity of the sport.

[jamesedwards]

Any update on what is happening?

Stewards Enquiry.

Only half the runners raced. The other half stopped just after the start. To add confusion all fences in the home straight, where the race started, were dolled off so there were people waving flags all over the place.

Someone's got it wrong. Most likely either those who completed will be in trouble or those who stopped will be in trouble. Who would be a jockey?

Rule of thumb, is to lay everything at 1.01 when this sort of thing happens.

7 day bans for all jockeys who pulled up erroneously at the start.

An enquiry was held into the placings in this race after Mr Tommie M. O’Brien, the rider of TROPICAL SPEED (IRE), Mr James King, the rider of DREAMWEAVER (IRE), Miss Daisy Warden, the rider of HILLTOWN (IRE), and Mr Harry O’Dwyer, the rider of SAN ET SAUF, had pulled up shortly after the start had been effected, when the chequered ‘hazard’ flag was being waved and the hazard whistles were being blown to signify the flights in the home straight were being omitted. All four riders, the Starters, the Clerk of the Course, Miss Gina Andrews, the rider of WASHINGTON SINGER, which subsequently fell, Mr P. W. Mullins, the rider of IT’S A BREEZE (IRE), placed third, Mrs Vicki Sollitt, the rider of HIDOR DE BERSY (FR), placed second, Mr Adam Ryan, the rider of the winner, CLEAR STORM, and Miss Elizabeth Feakes, the rider of HIGHWAY HERO, placed fourth, were all interviewed and shown recordings of the incident. Being 7lb claiming amateur riders, Mrs Sollitt, Miss Feakes, Miss Warden were all offered the opportunity to be accompanied in the enquiry but declined. After hearing their evidence, Mr O’Brien, Miss Warden, and Mr O’Dwyer were suspended for 7 days for pulling up after the chequered flag had been waved, which they mistakenly assumed was either a false start or a void race. Mr King’s explanation that he had pulled up because his saddle had slipped up the horse’s neck was accepted. The Stewards were satisfied that the correct procedures had been followed in respect of the deployment of the hazard warning flag, and ordered that the placings remain unaltered.