Non runners Horse Racing

Speculative Bid ran over the 7f of the Global Stakes at Ascot without jockey Jamie Spencer. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Reuters

The major betting competition associated with trip to Ascot on Saturday was mired in confusion and farce after Speculative Bid, the 4-1 favourite, left the stalls without his jockey and ended up being afterwards stated both a non-runner and a runner because of the stewards. The Gigaset International Stakes was won by the 7-1 possibility Heaven’s Guest, with the riderless Speculative Bid doing this course well behind the main body of athletes. The “weighed in” statement ended up being made on racecourse PA to ensure that competition have been determined for gambling purposes, and bookmakers started to shell out on result.

Shortly after ward, but there clearly was an additional announcement that a stewards’ query was at development, and some mins later on Speculative Bid was formally announced a non-runner. Thus, punters who had supported the favourite could reclaim their particular stakes, but wagers regarding winner had been subject to a “Rule 4” deduction of 20p inside lb.

Both on training course and all over nation, however, bookmakers had already started to spend on Heaven’s Guest without the deduction. Some off-course bookmakers in addition announced they would waive Rule 4 deductions from the champion while however refunding bets on Speculative Bid.

Significantly more than an hour after the battle, a further statement from the Ascot stewards’ space stated that Speculative Bid is highly recommended a runner for gambling purposes. This seemed to contradict an early on declaration by Jamie Stier, the Uk Horseracing Authority’s director of raceday functions and legislation, that “the horse has taken no part when you look at the race”.

On its internet site, the BHA said that the stewards had held a query “to ascertain the reason why Speculative Bid, ridden by Jamie Spencer, failed to start and eventually left the stalls riderless. They heard evidence from the driver together with starters. Spencer claimed that the gelding had been loaded later while he was considered to be difficult into the stalls and just prior to the stalls released, Speculative Bid got their mind within the adjacent stall 23.

“He included that whenever the stalls had been circulated he had been off the horse. Having heard their particular evidence and viewed video clip recordings for the begin, they unearthed that Speculative Bid was deemed not to have started and, under Rule (B)10.5, bought the gelding become withdrawn.”

The statement added your stewards “further enquired into the reason why the Weighed In sign was presented with prior to the enquiry into the beginning of the race had been concluded. They heard proof through the stipendiary steward, the clerk of this machines plus the racecourse announcer. Having heard their proof they forwarded the matter to your British Horseracing Authority for further consideration.”

Simon Clare, PR manager the bookmaker Coral, described the episode as “a farce” and “a total shambles”. He included: “Mistakes happen, however it features cost the a ton of cash.”