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If they can’t see the potential pitfalls of such a rule they must be blind as well as stupid.
Yeah, lets bring in another rule that is purely open to interpretation by different raceday Stewards at different meetings………what could possible go wrong with that idea
You would think they would have far better and much more important matters that required their attention rather than wasting time bringing in things like this that virtually nobody has been even asking for let alone screaming that it is an issue that needs to be sorted out.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, FFS!
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highwaysThis is typical of the modern world, I suspect one person has come up with this idea and instead of other people pointing out the pitfalls which would be viewed as negative they get behind it with positive applauding.
The more I know the less I understand.
I’ve got one of those as well Gladiateur. This is a tale I posted on here many years ago, but it raises some interesting questions about this rule change.
“It was a cold, grey winter afternoon at Newbury for some modest fare in front of a small crowd. My sole bet of the day was Bold Choice in the 2M handicap chase. In a field of four he could do no better than third, almost 12 lengths off the winner, Big Matt, the 7/4 fav. The form book comment for Bold Choice reads ‘Badly hampered start, hit 8th, never near to challenge’, but that offers little clue as to what actually happened.
One of his three rivals was a horse called Mr Felix, trained by Bob Champion. Mr Felix apparently needed to be led in at the start by his trainer, so there he was holding the bridle as they lined up, with Mr Felix on the outside of the four. As he released the horse, he stepped one pace to his left, straight in front of Bold Choice, who knocked Champion to the floor and was himself brought to his knees.
With the starter frozen to the spot and showing no signs of calling a false start, and the recall flag man already diving for cover, the race was allowed to continue. Jimmy Frost picked up Bold Choice and left with no alternative, set off in vain pursuit about fifteen lengths behind his three rivals.”
This sounds like a perfect example of non runner based on this amended rule. Losing ground at the start through no fault of the horse or his rider. But he’s finished third, which meant £665 prize money for his owner. If he’s a non runner, does he still get the prize money, or is the owner stuck with all the costs, entry fee, riding fee, transport etc, but no return.
If he’s a non runner, does this run get removed from the form book, so when he next runs, most punters won’t know what happened. In fact he ran a week later at Sandown and won. If he’s a non runner, can the handicapper still use the form to adjust his mark?
Great fun for on course bookies, waiting to find out if they have to refund stakes on one and take 30p in the pound off backers of the winner. How long will it take for the stewards to make a decision and will the result and it’s effects be broadcast in plain English, or the usual jargon. And in a case like the one above, would they announce a decision either way, or only if they decide he’s a non runner.
NZ and OZ the odd occasion stall malfunctions or springs back on them which can happen at country tracks with old stalls horse non runner , form not recorded etc . Horse places or wins it won’t be declared non runner , it surely will be ones lost all chance at start and more less pulled out race early . With NH the rule will be a mess imho . Gate start it’s pretty obvious .
I believe this rule should be amended for flat racing as well. Simply, if a horse plants itself in its stall and refuses to race it should be declared a non-runner. Likewise, in jump racing if a horse refuses to race it should be a non-runner. In both cases if a horse is slowly away but is then racing it should be deemed to be a runner. It will be obvious that in a 3 mile+ race a horse not facing the right way at the start can still win if good enough.
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