This is why we should never just trust ....

What we are told


THE BHA has revealed that Wetherby's Charlie Hall Chase was run over a distance shorter than advertised after a recent visit to the track unearthed that four of the 12 available distances at Wetherby have been incorrect for the last five years.

Official times from Charlie Hall Chase day on November 1 thrust race distances at the track into the spotlight and, after remeasuring the course on Monday, the BHA has accepted responsibility for what it calls an "unacceptable" error.

Monday's investigation revealed the 3m1f chase distance, used for the Charlie Hall, was 78 yards short of the minimum 3m 166yards required for a jumps race to be officially classified as "three miles about one furlong". The start will now been moved 84 yards further back.

The 3m1f hurdle distance, over which Cole Harden won the West Yorkshire Hurdle on the same card, was found to be 38 yards longer than the maximum permitted for a jumps race to be officially described as "three miles about 1 furlong" and the start will now be moved forward 125 yards.

In addition, the 1m5f bumper course will now become 1m4½f, the 2m4f hurdle course will change to 2m 4½f, the 3m 4½f chase course becomes 3m4f and the 4m1f chase course is now 4m½f.

With the BHA "acknowledging responsibility" no action will be taken against Wetherby racecourse.

Jamie Stier, director of raceday operations and regulation for BHA, said: "It is unacceptable that the hurdle and chase courses at Wetherby have for some time been operating over incorrect distances in some instances.

"Accuracy of information is crucial to both punters and licensed persons and it is for this reason that back in October BHA made it a requirement for the effect of any running rail movements on race distances to be published alongside going reports.

"The result here is that races run over four of the 12 available distances at Wetherby over a five-year period have been incorrect. This is unacceptable. However, it is the view of BHA that the scale of the inaccuracy is not sufficient for any retrospective action to be required in terms of the results of any of the races in question.

"In the case of Wetherby we do not think it is appropriate that any further action should be taken against the racecourse. In considering this position we are cognisant that, while technically under the rules it is the racecourse's responsibility to ensure that distances are accurate, BHA were involved in the processes which gave rise to the issues at Wetherby.

"We acknowledge our responsibility for this, as well as our responsibility to ensure public confidence in this regard."

The catalyst of the error appears to be waterlogged ground for a meeting in November 2009. According to Wetherby, "emergency track modifications were implemented prior to racing" for that meeting due to issues with false/waterlogging ground in front of the stand.

Wetherby say the modifications resulted in the separate hurdle and chase bends at the eastern end of the racecourse being reversed so that the runners were no longer required to cross over in front of the winning post, but instead at the entrance into the back straight.

It was "agreed by all parties that the revised layout was a great improvement on the previous configuration" and has since remained as the default track configuration but distances were never remeasured.

Jonjo Sanderson, Wetherby's chief executive, said: "Wetherby wishes to acknowledge its part in this unfortunate error and apologises to all parties affected by this since 2009. Furthermore, we are naturally extremely grateful that this discrepancy has been brought to our attention.

"In order to rectify this issue, the BHA and Wetherby have spent a great deal of time since the bet365 Charlie Hall meeting concluded remeasuring the hurdle and chase tracks in order to ensure that, going forward, races are staged over their official distance, and we are grateful for the time the BHA racecourse inspectorate has committed to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion."

The BHA says a project is underway to roll out a revised method of measuring course distances on jump tracks to bring it into line with protocol for the Flat, whereby measurements are taken six feet from the inside rail and all starts are professionally surveyed to the nearest yard.

When the winner should not have won at Wincanton.


BHA protests 'ineligible' steeple winner
Brad Waters - 11 Nov 2014
The British Horseracing Authority has lodged an objection to The Young Master being declared the Badger Ales Trophy winner because the horse was ineligible to run in the race.

The Young Master won the Wincanton steeplechase on Saturday but it later emerged the five-year-old was not eligible for the £60,000 Class 1 race because he had not raced over fences three times.

The stewards received the information too late to withdraw The Young Master from the race before protesting the result, putting the matter in the hands of a disciplinary panel.

The Racing Post reported the blame for the error "appears to rest with Weatherbys, who are responsible for racing administration”.

The Young Master's owner Mike Burbridge told the UK racing newspaper he would fight any adverse ruling and could take the matter to court if the panel stripped his horse of the victory.

"I have been in racing for 20 years and am not going to give this up without a fight. I think they have made a cock-up and we'll end up paying for it,” he said.

"I can't understand the problem as it was to our disadvantage he had run in only two relevant races. If they disqualify him, what are they going to do with his handicap mark?

"They can't put it up if they say he has effectively not run in the race. Something has to give and I'll get a solicitor involved if needed."

Harder than we thought regulating racing ?