Last Sunday’s Borrowdale Park racemeeting was held without a photo-finish camera and an investigation has been opened to establish what caused the failure and whether proper procedures were adopted.
This was confirmed by NHA Racing Control Executive Arnold Hyde, who said that the race film was used to determine the placings.
The official Stipes Report said:
Please be advised that the photo finish did not work the entire race meeting.
The Rules make the Chief Executive of the Racing Operator responsible for ensuring that the photo finish camera is in working order. Then Rule 65.6 refers to the situation when there is no photo finish photograph available.
65.6 A judge shall satisfy himself as to the correctness of the placings from the photograph. If there is no photograph available due to a failure of the photo-finish camera or if, in the sole opinion of the judge, the images on the photograph are indistinct, then the judge may have regard to the race film to satisfy himself as to the correctness of the placings. If there is no race film available, the judge shall, to the best of his ability determine the placings as he has personally observed them. The judge’s decision shall be final and binding.
A local owner was critical of the ‘shambles’ and pointed out the fact that some of the finishes on the day were very tight and that the Tellytrack camera is a couple of meters past the post.
“The positioning of said cameras was done on purpose some time ago so as not to undermine the judge’s results. My main concern is that the results on Sunday were adjudicated by judges and Stipes together, which is not within the NHA Rules,” he writes.
The owner goes on to say that to adjudicate a result from a film is not the correct way, as there is no finish line on the screen to assist the judges decisions or to measure the distance of the run-ons. He suggests that it follows that records are not correct for the future and punters were not even informed that there was an equipment failure.
“Is that fair and reasonable for the punter, let alone the breeder and owner etc?” he asks.
He points out that the Borrowdale Park judges do not have any facilities in their box to adjudicate from a screen as there is no screen or any backup equipment.
You be the judge of this race:
“I am told there is going to be an enquiry as to what was a shambles. But it is a bit late – like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, excuse the pun,” he writes.
It is not clear as to what caused the breakdown and whether the Mashonaland Turf Club was even aware of it, or tested the facility in advance of the meeting.
That should come out in the wash – for now punters can speak with their hard earned rands.
