Arnold Hyde, Racing Control Executive for the National Horseracing Authority (NHA), has promised a full and in-depth investigation into Saturday’s objection in Race 1 at Turffontein, reports Tabnews.
“The last thing we want to come out is that we are trying to protect someone,” said Hyde.
Arnold Hyde on the right, pictured with colleague Cecil Van As
“We will investigate all the circumstances. It is a complex matter but we will not gloss over it.”
The drama at Turffontein began when an objection was lodged by the connections of second-placed Nordic Storm against winner Querari Viking on the grounds “of taking up his running shortly after the start and interference suffered by Nordic Storm leaving the 300m”.
The head-on camera showed jockey Karl Zechner switching his mount around Querari Viking who had hung in but from the footage shown on Tellytrack he did not appear to have stopped riding. Querari Viking went on to win by 1.10 lengths.
According to the Stipes report the Objection Board, “after hearing all the evidence and viewing the patrol films of the race, were of the opinion that had Nordic Storm not suffered the interference caused by Querari Viking, Nordic Storm would have finished in front of Querari Viking and therefore upheld the Objection”.
After the decision a group of punters stormed into the stipes’ area to demand an explanation and to challenge the decision. The whole incident has been filmed on a cell phone and has been sent to racing people all over the country.
“The Inquiry will be into the whole incident – from start to finish. It is difficult to deal with on a weekend but when I get into my office on Monday we will formulate how we are going to handle it,” said Hyde.
“We will endeavour to get the bottom of what happened. A whole host of things need to be considered and we also have to give everybody the chance to give their side of the story.
“Unfortunately once the all-clear has sounded you can’t go bring the whole thing back and those who backed Querari Viking will have lost their money, no matter the outcome as the result cannot be changed.”
Some bookmaking firms have refunded bets to punters who backed Querari Viking.
Hyde confirmed there would also be an Inquiry into the incident in Race 5 at Scottsville on Sunday where the race was declared null and void after most of the jockeys failed to react to a false start that was declared.
“The assistant starter raised his flag but then Dundrum got fractious and his bridle came loose over the horse’s ear,” explained KZN chief stipe Shaun Parker. “Jockey Keagan de Melo was trying to get it unravelled when the starter let them go. The starter then sounded a recall but certain jockeys heard it and others didn’t.
“In this investigation we also need to look at whether the recall system we have in place needs to be changed.”
