BHA praised for taking ‘sensible approach’ to at-risk all-weather race
Despite being opposed to the three-month trial in general, the ROA welcomed the decision not to scrap the 32Red Handicap, even though it was at risk under the short-notice removal trial after only four runners were declared.
The class five handicap over one mile and three furlongs for three-year-olds was not removed from the card as there were insufficient alternative races coming up for the horses involved.
Wayman said: “It was always a feature of the trial that when you got to the declaration stage of a race that was potentially at risk, the BHA racing department would look at the programme for the horses involved to assess whether there was alternative place to run in the next few days.
“In the event there were alternative races, the race would be cancelled. And if there weren’t, then the race would go ahead any way, even though it didn’t hit the target. What you don’t want is horses standing in their boxes.
“It doesn’t surprise me that there would be situations like the one today where the racing department take the view there was nowhere else for these horses to run.
“You might as well let the race go ahead, so I think it’s sensible.
“We are not supportive generally of the trial. Given the trial is going on, what they are doing is a sensible way of dealing with it.
“If there is nowhere else to run then you might as well let the race take place.
“If you cancel the race and there is nowhere else for the horses to run you are worse off than letting the race go ahead.
“At the same period last year you’d have taken out 11 races over the 13 weeks, so you are looking at a race a week. That is the sort of volume you would expect.
“One of things we are doing at the ROA is monitoring the impact of the race on those horses that are affected and how quickly they come out and find alternative races, talk to the owners involved and get their feedback.
“When the trial comes to an end we will be in a position to contribute to the review.”
