Suggestions on a Mauritius social media platform of ‘panic in betting shops in South Africa’ during the running of the eighth race at the Champ de Mars on Saturday have yet to be confirmed.
The Sporting Post has received reports from a reliable source resident on the island that the events surrounding the 361 Trianon Cup on Saturday warrant a second look, with questions being raised around the off-time of the race, as well as the ‘scratching’ of the 14-10 favourite Grand Vision.
The final event of the Mauritius season’s 32nd meeting, which was hosted by the Mauritius Turf Club Sports And Leisure (MTCSL), was raced at 16h35, as per the official schedule published by the Horse Racing Division (HRD).
The advertised off time per the MTCSL website was apparently 16h45. These are Mauritius local times.
The one South African bookmaker to have responded to Sporting Post questions on Sunday afternoon confirmed that their book was in fact closed timeously at 16h35, and that there was no betting activity to warrant any suspicion.
Suggestions on the Mauritius social media platform that after Prince Of Venice had won, the race was still open and thus ‘triggering a total frenzy among betting companies’, have not been confirmed.
The Sporting Post has written to TAB and requested confirmation of the closing time on their system.
The circumstances surrounding the scratching of the 14-10 favourite Grand Vision (2) are also unclear.
According to observers, Grand Vision lost his rider during the running. On our tote is reflects with the 4 horse as a scratching. But in an MTCSL hand-written results document in the possession of the Sporting Post, the result of race 8 is reflected with Grand Vision shown as a ‘runner’.
The Sporting Post has written to the MTCSL requesting clarity on both matters.
Mauritius horseracing has clearly suffered tensions under the divided management of two operators. The season only started on Sunday 5 June under the control of People’s Turf Plc Ltd. They rotate the programme with the MTCSL.
