Recently there have been some comments expressed in the media about the ways the Club’s officials handle the late withdrawal of runners and the related issue of unloading horses following incidents down at the start. Some racing fans have raised similar questions regarding these issues via this blog and so I think it would be good for me to share more with you, so that you can understand better the related procedures and rationale.
There are some occasions when it is necessary to unload all horses from the gate after the late scratching of a horse or horses – this could well be necessary due to safety issues. On other occasions it is not necessary to unload and our decision is determined by circumstances, which vary from case to case. Our Racing Control Team will closely communicate with the Club’s Vets and the Gate Starting Team before deciding whether it is necessary to unload the remainder of the field. They will first assess the horses concerned and then make their informed decisions in the best interests of the horses and safety.
A recent example was that of Vintage Hussler. The horse was involved in an incident inside the starting gate before the start of a race late last month and I know that some of you have wondered why it took a rather long time to then reload the horses and run the race. In fact, the straightforward answer is that the welfare of horses and jockeys, and all those who work with the horses at the start, is always our top priority and on this occasion we had to first take care of Vintage Hussler. The horse was on the ground just behind the barrier stalls, and in the interests of protecting the safety of not only Vintage Hussler but also of the remaining horses as well as the jockeys and handlers we were left with no option but to unload all runners from their barriers. In doing this, we were also of course safeguarding as best we could the interests of those who had placed bets on other runners in the race
We have always been very prudent in this area. We understand that even when some very minor problems occur, these could still possibly affect other horses in the gate which can quickly become restless, a situation that could potentially lead to a minor problem escalating into something bigger.
A few of you have also observed that we will unload all runners whenever a favoured runner is a late scratching just before the start of a race. We are of the view that such a move is a fair one as a withdrawn favoured horse has by definition been a well-supported horse in the race – removing all the horses from the gate enables customers to adjust their betting strategy. This practice provides extra time for them to do so and the delay is very short as runners are reloaded within just a few minutes.
To sum it up, gate incidents involving horses are unpredictable. What we do is take the appropriate measures to manage the situation as best as we possibly can, using the combined expertise and wide experiences of our Racing Control Team and vets. I hope this information gives you all a clear picture about the ways we handle these situations, so that you can understand the thinking behind our procedures should a similar scenario arise in the future.
Now let’s get back to racing action. Later this evening, we will simulcast seven races from the Super Saturday meeting from Meydan, Dubai. Some top runners such as last year’s Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso, Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Little Mike and Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Krypton Factor, will all be in action. You can watch how they perform in these important prep-up races prior to the big day, the Dubai World Cup Meeting, on 30 March.
Also, I’m sure you have not forgotten that we have 10 races at Sha Tin tomorrow. Among them the Singapore Turf Club Trophy (Handicap) is a Class 2 event over the straight 1000m, with an expected good pace. The small field will allow most horses to take positions close to the outside rail. Little Cow and Go Baby Go should be well placed near the front along with Straight Gold. Fat Choy Hong Kong is an improver and he should be in midfield together with Good Words. Little Cow is working very well and this horse will be the horse to beat in this race. Straight Gold and Go Baby Go are the obvious horses for place chance. Straight Gold again meets Go Baby Go after another event over the same distance back in January, with swing in ratings to his favour by five rating pounds. I think he should have overcome his last start when found with blood in the trachea. Good Words is working well too and makes his 1000m straight debut. He should not be underestimated for a place.
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