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Speculative Bid fiasco demands new procedures
Many of the on-course bookmakers standing at Goodwood will have had pitches at Ascot on Saturday and all will have a tale to tell. The ramifications of the Speculative Bid fiasco reach far and wide.
We now live in a world where immediacy is crucial and technology reigns to the extent we are beholden to it. We are so accustomed to social media and alerts in a blink of an eye that the not knowing, together with frustration, anger, impatience, uncertainty and confusion left its mark forever.
There will be some punters who weren’t fortunate enough to reclaim losses they now weren’t entitled to on Speculative Bid, some who have been deducted a Rule4, some who have a sorry story to tell regarding a multiple life changing bet, some who just watched from the sidelines.
Bookmakers on course and betting shop staff bore the brunt of it all, the frustration was vented on them yet the blame for the shambles and various delays were not theirs. Their rules, that of the Tattersalls Committee, for whatever reason, had not been adhered to, whether they were forgotten in all the confusion will come out in the end.
The simple rule is once the ‘Weighed In’ is announced, any subsequent enquiry for betting purposes is an irrelevance. ‘Weighed In’ means that the result stands and in Speculative Bid’s case he was a runner. There needed to have been an objection to the weigh-in.
Emails and texts to my phone while the International was in progress showed that some of the big betting firms were alert to the situation and prepared to offer money back as a free bet on singles on Speculative Bid, as is becoming the case more and more.
On-course bookmakers are at the mercy of official announcements, so as soon as they heard the ‘Weigh In’ they paid out. Sometime after, however, they heard a Stewards Inquiry was being called, forcing them to halt payment, but those in the queue had seen others before them paid out in full and understandably they weren’t moving, so fielding money on the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes became impossible.
To add to their woes there was then the announcement that Speculative Bid had been deemed a non-runner, so the queues were accumulating.
Bookmakers who knew the rules called upon the Betting Ring Managers, who then must have gone round to the weighing room to express their concern and dismay and the actual rules.
It was all too late for the on-course bookmakers, the Tote, the betting offices and exchanges and a very costly set of circumstances.
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Procedures need to be set up and proactive use of the big screens with relevant messages such as Stewards Inquiry, Hold Your Bets, Weighed In, Result Stands, Actual Rule 4 deductions, Objection – by Stewards, Starter, Clerk of the Scales, and backed up with repetitive messages over the tannoy.
Also in this age of computer technology a programme could be created where at the press of a button messages could be relayed to the bookmakers on course, or the Starting Price Validator, Betting Ring Manager to help give clarify the situation.
A gesture to the on-course bookmakers betting on Saturday would be to waive their pitch fee for the next meeting, but then how are the off-course bookmakers going to be compensated?
All this mess has overshadowed what was a fantastic day’s racing. Postponed and Eagle Top in the King George plus Heaven’s Guest in the International, Tullius at York and all the other victors have not received the recognition often garnered on this prestigious occasion.
On Saturday the weather robbed us of Golden Horn, and while the rain continued to fall on Sunday Gleneagles’ participation in the Sussex Stakes dissolved. We’ve also lost Limato from the Lennox Stakes.
One horse who ought to appreciate the ground at Goodwood is Forgotten Hero and he runs in the opener at Goodwood on Tuesday.
He has been kept exceptionally busy - this will be his sixth start of the season.
I believe last time out was his best run, when fourth in the John Smith’s Cup at York over ten furlongs. He has a fair draw, and could well hit the front a full furlong out - here’s hoping.
Of course they are all dangers but I expect a big run from Spa’s Dancer, also.
Astronereus can defy top weight back at his local course in the Summer Stakes at 3.45pm.
He hasn’t had much success on his two previous visits, but seems a different proposition now he has won two of his last three races and was third in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes.
His one admirable trait is that he keeps finding extra and he might yet be ahead of the handicapper.
Tanya Stevenson’s Tuesday Goodwood tips:
2.00 Goodwood: Forgotten Hero at 14-1 with bet365, SkyBet and William Hill.
3.45 Goodwood: Astronereus at 8-1 generally available.
Tanya Stevenson’s Tuesday pointers:
2.00 Goodwood - Sky Bet First Race Special Stakes:
The last winning favourite was Supply And Demand in 1998.
The last horse older than five to win was Knock Knock in 1992 he was seven.
Mark Johnston has won the race four times in the last nine years.
Sir Michael Stoute has had one winner from his last seven runners but three beaten favourites – today Top Tug.
Seven of the last 10 winners have been drawn in double figure stalls.
Only three of the last ten had won on their most recent run.
Five of the last ten winners had run at Royal Ascot en route.
2.35 Goodwood - Qatar Vintage Stakes:
Richard Hughes is attempting his fifth victory in six years on Palawan.
Six of the last ten favourites have won (26 of 40 favourites have won in total).
The last ten winners were 6-1 or shorter all from the first three in the betting.
Six of the last nine winners had all run at Royal Ascot (four from the Coventry Stakes).
Eight of the last ten won on the racecourse debut.
Nine of the last ten winners had run at least twice previously.
Three of the last five winners had run in the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket.
3.10 Goodwood - Qatar Lennox Stakes:
Only four winning favourites since it was first run in 2000.
Seven of the 15 runnings were won by three-year-olds.
Thirteen of the 15 winners were priced no bigger than 7-1.
All of the last ten winners came from the first three in the betting.
Nine of the last ten winners had run in a Group One in their career (eight of those ran in the Group One that season)
Seven of the last ten winners had taken in Royal Ascot en route.
Only two of the last ten winners won on their most recent start.
Only three of the last six three-year-old winners had taken in the 2000 Guineas, the other three all ran in the French 2000 Guineas.
3.45 Goodwood - Summer Stakes:
Roger Varian is enjoying a strike-rate over 40% at present.
Since 1997 only three winners have carried less than 9st.
Seven of the ten winners came from the first three in the betting.
Eight of the last ten winners had previously won over at least a mile and a half.
Luca Cumani has won the race three times.
Only three of the last ten winners had come via Royal Ascot.
The last six winners were drawn ten or higher.
Eight of the last ten winners were aged four or five.
