The sixth race at Greyville on Sunday was a bizarre comedy of errors and procedural circumstances for everybody involved.
With Gauteng visitor Good Emperor rearing in the pens, the starter launched the nine horse field and then called a false start.
The three horses that couldn’t be stopped by their riders – Noble Duke, That’s Life and Seventh Son – were withdrawn, as was the offender, Good Emperor.
So a nine horse race was reduced to five through an offending individual runner.
To add insult to injury, the eventual tote favourite Panza landed up running last of the five.
Did the starter not realise that a 1000m race requires extra consideration to the option of a false start call?
A 3200m race doesn’t have the same tension, adrenaline and taut equine springs at the start, surely?
And what happened to the rule regarding horses rearing in the gates and offending, not being considered qualifiers for a withdrawal?
While there are winners and losers in every set of circumstances, would a null and void not have been a better option?
Anybody’s fault or not, racing lost out of this circus.
