Tanlic
Senior Jockey
Stewarding in this country has once again come into question.
When will the BHA learn they have to take a long hard look at the rules and add a simple phrase "At the discretion of the Stewards"
Take Robert Earnshaw for example. He was a jockey and rode at the top for many years with Michael Dickinson.
He smart he's intelligent but because the rules are his bible he had no choice but to void a perfectly fair run race which caused absolute havoc in the betting ring, in the shops and on the exchanges.
Many punters were already paid out leaving the bookies with little or no chance of getting their money back but having to refund all the money they took on losers.
Imagine you have just had two hundred quid on the winner and your account with Betfair or Betdaq. A grand better off you decide on that basis to stick your winnings on the next favourite and it loses.......oh well says you easy come easy go........15 minutes later the Exchange whip 1000 pounds of your account and instead of being all square you are 800 pounds down.
To what scale it happened I have no idea but happen it did and left a lot of very irate punters some of who would be threatening to or even deciding to give horse racing a miss.
UK horse racing simply can't afford this type of fiasco and the BHA should ensure all stewards at all courses can make decisions when necessary to benefit racing and not tie their hands to a bunch of badly thought out cast iron rules.
When will the BHA learn they have to take a long hard look at the rules and add a simple phrase "At the discretion of the Stewards"
Take Robert Earnshaw for example. He was a jockey and rode at the top for many years with Michael Dickinson.
He smart he's intelligent but because the rules are his bible he had no choice but to void a perfectly fair run race which caused absolute havoc in the betting ring, in the shops and on the exchanges.
Many punters were already paid out leaving the bookies with little or no chance of getting their money back but having to refund all the money they took on losers.
Imagine you have just had two hundred quid on the winner and your account with Betfair or Betdaq. A grand better off you decide on that basis to stick your winnings on the next favourite and it loses.......oh well says you easy come easy go........15 minutes later the Exchange whip 1000 pounds of your account and instead of being all square you are 800 pounds down.
To what scale it happened I have no idea but happen it did and left a lot of very irate punters some of who would be threatening to or even deciding to give horse racing a miss.
UK horse racing simply can't afford this type of fiasco and the BHA should ensure all stewards at all courses can make decisions when necessary to benefit racing and not tie their hands to a bunch of badly thought out cast iron rules.
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