I’m one of those punters who sometimes takes a bet on a major race a couple of weeks before the final field is declared. As there are no final field you normally get better odds.
Take the Emerald Cup which was eventually ran last Thursday. I believe the punters were done in by the bookmakers with this race.
Let me explain:
I took 3 bets early. Meadow Magic to win @ 12/1, Beacon Flare for a place @ 6/1 and Link Man to win @ 8/1.
As Link Man did not take the final field I lost my money on that bet and I thru that ticket away and had only 2 bets going onto the Emerald Cup. Meadow Magic which was now at 6/1 and Beacon Flare at 20/1 ( 4/1 place ) and was shortly thereafter claimed to 12/1.
Then it started to rain just before the race.
I was not a the bookmakers when this happened and read on Tab Online that the race would now be ran on the Thursday.
When the race was ran and Thursday I thought I had 2 winning bets, but to my surprise when I wanted to collect my bets I was informed that the race was abandoned and I was only entitled to a refund?
This is outrageous as I can bet you there are many more punters like me he though the their bets were still active. All the punters who had money on the other horses in the race and did not win did not go back for a refund as we the public where not made aware of this situation in the press or on the TAB Online website?
I would have thought TAB Online would have made all the conditions that was involved clear within a article, but the y only mentioned the Computaform which was not outdated and nothing else?
If the race was abandoned and not moved would someone please explain how the original opening betting ( about 2 week before the race ) and the betting on the Sunday after the race was moved differed so much.
The betting is supposed to be influenced by actual money that was bet on the horse and if all bets was due for refund why was Mr. Tobin now 28/10, Meadow Magic 5/1 and Beacon Flare 8/1?
The bookmakers made a score on all the bets that was taken before the final field was announced and those punters lost their money.
Then the bookmakers made another score when only some bets where refunded because of no information to the public and the they scored again by only refunding people who thought they had a winning ticket.
Anybody with a losing ticket and not aware of the refund also lost their money.
Any major race where there is betting available before the final field is announced should not be cancelled! Because this is a mayor feature race and it will be run soon afterwards. I believe all bets which relates to the race itself should only be considered moved and not abandoned. This excludes Pick 6, Jackpots etc. which involves more than just the major race.
Would the same happen if it was the JULY?
I would like to know how this can be changed?
via email – J Mynhardt
