GALLOPERS PUNTING EDITORIALS
Incorrect Weight For the Poor Punter
The hardest thing for any punter is to find that elusive winner. When finally we not only find the winner, we have a decent go at it, our elation holds no bounds. Not too many better feelings in this world than backing a winner.
Alas, there is one rule of racing that will take away that feeling within minutes of the horses returning to scale. And this rule has been one of our biggest bug bears in racing for some time now. To explain properly, I'll start with a true story.
Back in the early 90s I was able to strike up a friendship with one of the nicer blokes in racing. He was a businessman at the time I met him, a racehorse owner and breeder, however some years before had been labelled a leviathan bookmaker. On the day in question I met him for a business discussion after which I asked him if he had any horses racing that weekend. My mate replied, "No, but I've got one in this afternoon and he will get the cash." He told me the name of the horse was Victoria Park and was racing at Ballarat in Victoria and he declared the horse to me.
Well, I usually don't take tips, however following our meeting I headed straight for the nearest TAB, which just happened to be directly underneath my mates offices on the leafy glades of Sydney's north shore. He certainly had his priorities right in that regards. On entering the TAB I searched out the fields for Ballarat and sure enough Victoria Park was in the Open handicap with a 3kg claiming apprentice on board, P Ferris. Now Patrick did nothing wrong on this occasion so I am okay to name him without breaking any libel laws. I had a healthy bet straight out on Victoria Park, then set off to continue my days work. Although not before noting the time of the race to ensure I would be able to dash into a TAB to watch my monies fortunes.
After calling on a few more clients, with one eye closely planted on my watch, I sneakily finished up for the day and headed for my local to view the race. On jumping away from a good draw, young Pat placed Victoria Park 3rd on the fence with the run of the race. Maybe this kid can ride I thought to myself as he took full advantage of the box seat. At around the 800m mark of the 1300m event, I thought I noticed the horse either suffer a slight check, or maybe even clip the heels of the horse in front, anyway, it didn't appear to hamper him too much and to my delight as the field approached the turn, young Pat eased Victoria Park off the fence to make his run. My jaw nearly dropped on straightening as Victoria Park literally sprinted away from his hapless rivals, not even daylight was making any ground on him. Victoria Park won by over 3 lengths, I didn't care who ran second or third. Then the winning odds flashed up on the monitor, a luxurious $3.50 for a certainty. So I dashed over to the local newsagent to grab a copy of the Sportsman for the weekend, quickly returning to the TAB to collect my winnings.
However, when I placed my winning ticket into the machine, the operator over the counter grunted at me, "Sorry, no pay there, mate."
"Give me a break, mate, I just watched this thing win by 3 lengths." I retorted loudly.
The operator placed the ticket in the machine a second time, then bluntly responded with exactly the same answer, "No pay there, mate."
To say I was shattered was the understatement of the millennium. I looked at the ticket, yep, Victoria Park, straight out to win.
Okay, so why didn't I and plenty of other unlucky punters collect that day. Well, young Patrick weighed in light. At the 800m mark, when I thought I noticed the horse cop a slight check, the horse actually hit the running rail, dislodging lead from the saddle bag. Again, no fault of Patrick's, no fault of the owner or the trainer, and certainly no fault of the poor punter who did his doe cold. But the horse weighed in light, Stewards disqualified him and awarded the race to the runner up, whose name I have never remembered.
Now, before you all jump off your chairs and accuse me of still harping on a loss of nearly 20 years ago, think about what really happened here. Let's forget about Victoria Park, let's focus on any horse weighing in light after winning a race.
The punters put their money down in good faith, as they do every day of the week. However, if their horse wins, and then weighs in light, the punter does his doe cold. In fact, the punter did not ever have a chance to win anything. The only result for any punter who backed a horse that weighed in light was a losing result. This result is simply not fair.
This occurred not long ago in Melbourne when Craig Newitt weighed in light on a winner. Again, punters did their doe stone cold, without a snowflakes chance in hell of winning. How can racing authorities justify the continuation of this rule whereby punters cannot possibly win on this bet.
There has never been any discussion about changing this rule to alleviate the burden from the punter. The rule should be changed to make the horse a late scratching. There is no reason, other than a reduction in TAB turnover, for this rule change not to be expedited. No skull duggery can be performed as long as Stewards officiate properly prior to each race to ensure very rider is at his correct riding weight. And this is where we become baffled. How can a rider like Newitt weigh in light when the Stewards were supposed to monitor his weight before he went out to ride the horse.
And why is it the poor punter who always suffers?
Change the rule authorities. When a rider weighs in light, judge the horse a late scratching, give the punters their money back, then open an enquiry as to why the rider weighed in light and then take appropriate action against whomever may be to blame, whether it be jockey or Steward for not doing their jobs.
Punters keep this industry going, if the industry wants to keep going, they must keep the punters. And taking money away from punters when horses weigh in light, is a quick way to alienate the punter and drive him away from this great sport.
