A NEW rule change to racing is great news for punters – as bosses look to clamp down on horses getting an ‘unfair advantage’.
Stewards will, from May 1, have extended powers to declare a horse a non-runner if they believe they have been denied a fair start.
Any horse who doesn’t start on equal terms and therefore has their chances of winning ‘materially affected’ as a consequence could be declared a non-runner.
This means punters will get their stakes on that horse back.
Under the old rule, horses who would have been disadvantaged at the start would still have been a runner for betting purposes.
This caused chaos in last year’s Epsom Dash when a stalls malfunction meant some horses jumped before others.
And a similar error at Wolverhampton recently saw nine of the 11 runners withdrawn after an issue with the gates.
Some bookies have taken sympathy with punters and offered ‘justice refunds’ in the past for such instances.
But now stewards will be given the power to declare a horse a non-runner if there is a clear and obvious issue affecting their chance to win.
A BHA statement read: “Use of the updated rule will be at the discretion of the BHA stewards and may include instances where a stalls malfunction causes some stalls to open more slowly than others, as was the case in the 2023 Epsom Dash.
“It could also cover scenarios where there is a problem with equipment fitted at the start, or a stalls handler is still attempting to assist a horse and jockey when the starting mechanism is triggered.
“The updated rule can also be applied in circumstances where a horse has obtained an unfair advantage at the start, for example if a runner forces the gates open prematurely before the starter has triggered the starting mechanism.
“However, a horse will not be declared a non-runner if it merely accelerates the gates once the starter has operated the starting mechanism.
“Any consideration by the stewards will always precede the ‘weighed in’ signal, with participants, racegoers and the betting public alerted that an incident at the start of the race is being reviewed.”
BHA Chief Regulatory Officer, Brant Dunshea, said: “This amendment to the rules will enable British racing to become signatories to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities model rule on non-runners and therefore see us align with other major racing nations.
“It seeks to provide greater clarity and consistency for all involved and provides a regulatory solution in scenarios where it is deemed that a horse has been denied a fair start due to a situation beyond its own control or that of its rider, not previously covered by the rules.
“While we don’t expect this rule to be required very often, we hope that extending the stewards’ power in this area – something we have discussed at length with industry stakeholders prior to implementation – is a positive development for participants and bettors.”
A responsible gambler is someone who:
