Gm, Equinauts

The Derby is over, but the fallout is only just beginning…

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

Rather than multiple news stories today, we’ve written an essay…

🥫CAN OF WORMS

Well, this actually happened on Saturday:

Has the sport created a solution to a problem that didn’t exist? It's a question we seem to be asking all too regularly of the BHA, whose decision-making can at times appear detached from the realities of the sport and its industry people betting public, but we seem to be asking it yet again after the bizarre decision to declare Derby favourite BENVENUTO CELLINI a NON-RUNNER.

So, first things first. Wtf happened?

While BENVENUTI CELLINI was being sold off in the betting as though he'd lost a leg, the irony was that when the gates opened he was effectively standing on only three!

The colt became caught in the stalls, missed the break and never had a realistic opportunity to execute the race plan intended by his connections, or so Ryan Moore eluded to lol. It was an unfortunate incident on the biggest stage.

After a lengthy stewards meeting, he was declared a non-runner under Rule H6 and quite understandably uproar ensued.

Now, there is little dispute that BC (BEVENUTO CELLINI) suffered significant misfortune at the start of the Derby, however, misfortune is surely where it ends. Racing is full of misfortune and that’s part of the risk. We imagine the bing-bong of the stewards and the resulting refund would have been a pleasant surprise to BC backers,

our point being that the fact it was a surprise means it’s surely a ludicrous decision and really opens up a horrible old can of worms.

There is little dispute that BC suffered significant misfortune at the start of the Derby. However, misfortune is surely where it ends. Racing is built on misfortune. Horses miss the break, suffer interference and encounter traffic problems all the time - that’s part of the punters risk.

We suspect the stewards' announcement, and the refund that followed, was a welcome surprise for those who backed BC. But that, in itself, is part of the problem. If virtually nobody expected the ruling, how can it possibly be considered a normal or sensible application of the rules?

The fact the decision caught so many, including trainers, by surprise suggests it sits well outside what most in racing (and us punters) understand to be…well, normal!

More worryingly, it opens a sizeable can of worms. If BC qualifies as a non-runner because one camera caught him with his leg up, where exactly is the line drawn in future? Do camera’s now have to be installed in every gate? How much misfortune is enough? And who decides when bad luck stops being bad luck and becomes grounds for erasing a horse from the race altogether?

Our view is simple: BC should have remained a runner. More broadly, we believe racing is at its strongest when officials intervene as little as possible.

That isn't to say stewards serve no purpose, there will always be occasions when intervention is somewhat necessary…you know… cheating, dangerous riding or clear race influencing interference, all those things that piss you off as a punter,

but beyond those exceptional circumstances, racing should be allowed to live naturally as the high performance sport it is. Right?

Since we’ve known the sport, it’s operated on a simple principle: the first horse past the post wins (unless there is a serious reason otherwise). That principle has served racing remarkably well and that’s what punters are conditioned to.

The further we drift from it, the greater the risk that fans and punters lose confidence in the sport's ability to govern itself consistently.

In short, the Derby should have been remembered for CHRISTMAS DAY's Classic triumph. Instead, it simply serves as another reminder of the growing divide between racing and the BHA.

The BHA insists RULE H6 exists to protect betting integrity. Yet integrity is not simply about correcting unfairness, it’s about maintaining consistency and predictability so that punters understand the rules before the event takes place.

On this occasion, they’ve done the opposite.

WE FINISHED MAY OVER 15 POINTS IN PROFIT & 43 UP FOR THE YEAR!

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