Why did backers of Paul Nolan duo have to pay the price for human error?
Trained by Henry de Bromhead, he was well backed, from 9-2 to 7-2, and produced a brave display to beat He’llberemembered by a head.
Those who supported the horse were entitled to feel more than pleased, having found a nice priced winner in a contest in which just six went to post.
But it soon turned sour for connections of Sadler’s Risk and for those punters who were looking forward to a tasty return on their investment.
Andrew Lynch was in the plate and he gave the then five-year-old a terrific no-nonsense drive.
But when Lynch returned to weigh in, it was discovered that Sadler’s Risk had carried 4lbs less than he should have. Disqualification was inevitable.
The reason why the horse was 4lbs light was he was wrongly weighed out.
It was human error on the part of the clerk of the scales.
The stewards on the day then referred the matter to the Turf Club for what was described as a “full investigation’’.
What the result of that “full investigation’’ was I have no idea.
Perhaps, I missed it, but I certainly never heard any reference to that race again.
Fast forward to Leopardstown last Sunday and a novice chase won by another De Bromhead inmate, Alisier D’Irlande.
He was long odds on and did exactly what it said on the tin, made all of the running and won in a canter.
In second place was one of two horses Paul Nolan had in the contest, I’m All You Need.
After the race, however, I’m All You Need’s rider, Jack Kennedy, weighed in 13lbs light.
Nolan’s other runner, Fine Article, a remote fifth, weighed in with 13lbs more than he should have carried, with human error again the reason.
The simple explanation was that Nolan got the lead cloths mixed up.
Now we know the man who never made a mistake never made anything and no criticism can be directed at either the clerk of the scales at Punchestown or Nolan at Leopardstown.
But here’s the problem, why did punters who backed Sadler’s Risk, I’m All You Need and Fine Article have to suffer?
There’s an old rule of thumb in horse racing which tells us that if you can’t win then you can’t lose. But in these cases punters were robbed of their money and may as well have thrown it in the fire. For the sake of this argument let’s just concentrate on Sadler’s Risk and I’m All You Need.
Sadler’s Risk was 4lbs light down at the start and I’m All You Need 13lbs and punters who backed them had no chance of even saving their wagers, not to mind seeking profit, before the respective contests began.
If they couldn’t win then they couldn’t lose, there really is no mystery to this. But lose they did and, apparently, the Turf Club thinks that’s okay.
The case of I’m All You Need is particularly interesting. You’d imagine there were those who backed her to win and also each-way, at 8-1, two places.
On top of that, with the favourite such a tight price, there had to be some who went for I’m All You Need without the market leader. All those bets were doomed to failure the moment they were struck. It’s not good enough.
Now you can argue that had Sadler’s Risk carried his correct weight he wouldn’t have won and if I’m All You Need carried her correct weight she would not have taken second. But that’s just supposition.
The next time human error is involved, and it will happen again, a gambled on horse might score by 20 lengths and weigh in say 5lbs light.
The Turf Club surely has to act on what shapes as an injustice, with the capacity to completely sour punters and, possibly, also to be challenged in a higher forum.
Sadler’s Risk, I’m All You Need and Fine Article should have been treated as non-runners, with punters getting their money back, together with subsequent deductions from winning bets. Perhaps, it is time for another “full investigation”.
Anyone else take notice of the Tony Martin-trained Anibale Fly in a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown last Sunday?
Winner of two bumpers and a maiden hurdle, Anibale Fly was contesting his first handicap off a mark of 133.
Ridden by Barry Geraghty, he raced wide for most of the two-mile journey and was widest of all turning for home.
He wasn’t knocked about in the straight and was doing his best work at the end to finish fourth behind Solita.
Anibale Fly was eventually beaten a little over a length and a half, with the handicapper deciding a rise of 2lbs in his mark was the right way to go. I just thought it was a puzzling performance on the part of the 2-1 favourite.
After All Souls had won at Navan last Saturday his trainer, Edward O’Grady, revealed the horse was only his second runner this year.
It was a somewhat staggering statistic about a man who has been a seriously good trainer for long period of time.
It brought to mind another trainer, who shall remain nameless. It’s not that long ago he was training a winner every two weeks. Now, I doubt he has a runner every two weeks.
National Hunt racing really has become almost a microcosm for society in general, with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer!
