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What about a groundsman (with one as a back-up checker), after the field has safely passed what will be the 2nd last on the next circuit, putting up a 2 at the side of the second-last and a 1 at the last?
Good points. But then you’ll have to take into account the weather conditions and be careful with the kind of material any portable signage is made of, as a strong gust of wind can make the situation a bit dodgy.
My ‘rigid’ hi-vis flag would be securely affixed and, equally importantly, it would be perforated throughout, to allow free flow of air therefore less air-resistant, naturally, of course!
I’d say it is easier to bribe a groundsman than it is to bribe a jockey.
Hiya Groundsman/men, if my horse falls I’ll pay you £2000 if you do not hold up the signs. (Void race)
Or what about saboteurs? Holding up the wrong flags a circuit early?
It’s the jockey’s own responsibility, full stop.
Value Is EverythingNo it’s daft to talk about flags and bells when this is a rare problem and needs to be the responsibility of the jockey. 99.9% of the time they know where the finishing post is, and so they should. For one thing, surely jockeys are meant to be pacing their horses over the whole course of the race, not waiting for a flag to tell them they need to be picking up the pace a bit or whatever. Knowing the course is essential in knowing how to pace their particular horse.
It’s their job to know.Has Lucy Gardner had many rides at Fontwell?
Racing being what it is and punters being what they are, malice aforethought is bound to be the default reaction to such a daft cock-up but the presumption must be innocence until proven guilty; and yes, the authorities should investigate ‘just in case’ as not to do so would be a dereliction of duty
This sort of error is glaring and being so it ‘seems’ to happen with some regularity; but in truth, given the myriad races we’re subjected to, is actually rare
Goalkeepers sometimes fumble the ball and let it slip through their legs netwards; cricketers sometimes drop dolly catches; professional golfers sometimes miss one-foot putts…blah blah – you know what I’d do guv, string ’em up, it’s the only language they understand
Blatant, simple errors in sport are awful and must be a source of acute embarrassment for the perpetrator: but let us on civvy street who’ve never erred cast the first stone – any volunteers?
Miss Gardner has shuffled off to the headmaster’s office and been caned: let that be a lesson to you
Such incidents on a horse you’re ‘on’ are at the time particularly annoying but are really no more than one hue of the multicoloured tapestry of incidents in races that can sink a bet
Shrug it off
We don’t need high-vis jackets, flashing lights, ringing bells or honking horns.
These occurrences are rarer than tits on a billiard ball. Jockeys just need to do their job.
Mike
I’m stunned the horse was allowed to run today after yesterdays fiasco.
Racing just loves shooting itself in the foot.
I don’t understand this. What’s wrong with the horse running again? Why is racing ‘shooting itself in the foot’?
Mike
Yeah nothing wrong with that. The horse ran well, although it was surprising it went off favourite.
Yes Shrug it off….it happens not do often , maybe once a year …we cannot keep looking for conspiracy theories , a mistake was made , punishment delivered , lets get over it folks
we have to accept races are complex things , on rare occasions , jocks get it horribly wrong …simples
I for one am a fan of Miss Lucy ….and she is forgiven already
It was brave of her to face the cameras and the public the very next day. Must be a tough girl.
Such incidents on a horse you’re ‘on’ are at the time particularly annoying but are really no more than one hue of the multicoloured tapestry of incidents in races that can sink a bet
Shrug it off
Lots of things can happen that result in your bet being sunk. Many of those things that do occur are unavoidable, just fate or bad luck.
What happened here was most certainly avoidable. A jockey is there to do a job and it doesn’t matter how many times they have ridden a track, it is a case of familiarising yourself with the job you have been given to do. Get out there and prepare for the race, plan the race in your mind and memorise what it is you need to do to win the race, or at the very least obtain the best possible position.
All this "Forgive and forget" attitude is all very noble but we are dealing with as gross a case of dereliction of duty as a jockey can commit in this instance.
All part of Life’s Rich Pageant? Well as a more blunt author might have put it "That was the biggest ***k up since Dunkirk"
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
I was there and didn’t notice her trying to login to Betfair and source the lay button in a mobile phone.
I actually had money on this horse and just assumed she is dismally weak in the finish.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"A jockey makes a genuine mistake and the debate lasts 3 pages with many castigating her and wanting a longer ban. Another jockey found guilty of deliberately not trying to win and gets just 3 replies and some think he has been treated harshly. Bizarre.
Maybe because one is based on fact and the other on opinion.
Funnily enough I don’t see any post from Kenh on the Maguire thread.And despite Drone and others stating it doesn’t happen very often although it seems to, I can’t remember it ever happening before, has it?
Riding a finish a circuit early has happened several times in living memory but, you’re right, I can’t recall another occasion when a rider thought there was another circuit to go, though feel sure there’s been one…
Riding a finish a circuit early has happened several times in living memory but, you’re right, I can’t recall another occasion when a rider thought there was another circuit to go, though feel sure there’s been one…
On the contrary, there may have been lots of them. The jockeys on all those alleged non-triers past and present, taking things ‘a bit easy’ out the back of the field, well maybe they all thought they had another circuit to race! How about that then, eh??!!
Riding a finish a circuit early has happened several times in living memory but, you’re right, I can’t recall another occasion when a rider thought there was another circuit to go, though feel sure there’s been one…
On the contrary, there may have been lots of them. The jockeys on all those alleged non-triers past and present, taking things ‘a bit easy’ out the back of the field, well maybe they all thought they had another circuit to race! How about that then, eh??!!
Now there’s food for thought……….
I always have a little chuckle to myself at some of the first timers in the crowd in races when they celebrate the horse they have bet on passing the finish line with a circuit to go.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Replying to Betlarge –
Yeah, i just think it would have been smarter if the horse hadn’t run a day after that fiasco. Just take the heat off it, wait a couple of weeks and go again. However, connections have probably been concerned about the handicapper.
The excuse jockeys give in these situations is never going to be good enough. We’re talking about two or three circuits, not 45 laps of an athetics track or 70 laps in a Grand Prix. It’s ridiculous.
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