Hollywoodbets have refunded backers of the KZN visitor Grey Fantacy, whose jockey was unseated as the gates were sprung for the third race, the R200 000 Wilgerbosdrift Listed Ruffian Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday.
The riderless Grey Fantacy in the wake of red hot favourite Almond Sea (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
From available visuals, it appears that jockey Smanga Khumalo was not in the saddle and the horse appeared to be rearing as the starter lifted the white flag.
It was an untidy start, and while all’s well that ends well, with the red-hot favourite Almond Sea winning smartly, there have to be question marks against the decision to declare Grey Fantacy a runner.
The simple gambling maxim of ‘if you could not win, you shouldn’t be a loser’, surely applies?
Grey Fantacy backers never had a chance and declaring her a runner cannot be the right thing to do.
Once again we will be told that if it’s the horse’s fault, then that’s the rules.
What happens if Almond Sea did the same? As one veteran suggested, ‘we’d probably have a riot on our hands’.
Jockey Smanga Khumalo was stood down for the day.
