Trigger wiring behind Vaal chaos
AN investigation has been completed into the malfunctions at the start during the Vaal race meeting last Thursday and Phumelela’s maintenance team submitted a report to Racing Executive Clyde Basel and the stipendiary stewards’ board yesterday.
It is believed a problem was found in the trigger that opens the stalls and simultaneously starts the clock.
The trigger has apparently been rewired and there should be no such issues at today’s meeting.
In Races 4 and 6, the starting gates opened without starter Solly Ngcobo pressing the button and in Race 9, the false start siren sounded shortly after the start was affected without being activated.
Seven Sovereigns bolted the course in Race 4 and was withdrawn by the veterinary surgeon, while Singaswewin and The Great Duchess were pulled up quickly and passed fit to race.
The race was won by well-backed first-timer Yaas. Singaswewin (5910) finished third with The Great Duchess (37-10) sixth.
The stipendiary board questioned Ngcobo, who could offer no explanation.
The same thing happened in Race 6.
When the gates sprung open for no apparent reason, Vulcan bolted the course and had to be scratched, while Tandava (Zim), Angelic Appeal and Rain Shadow were restrained, returned to the start and passed fit to race by the veterinary surgeon.
Tandava (Zim) (10-1) finished second to Trading Profit, while Angelic Appeal and Rain Shadow finished sixth and seventh respectively.
According to Chief Stipendiary Steward Lyle Anderson’s report, two different banks of starting stalls had been used for Races 4 and 6.
“It was deduced that the problem was with the cabling and/or the release trigger, and not the starting stalls themselves.
It was decided that the remaining races would be started by means of a manual start,” the report read.
Ngcobo’s woes did not end there, though.
In Race 9, won by 4-1 chance Quebec Queen, the actual start went without a glitch, but then the false start siren went off without the button being pressed.
Two riders, Gavin Lerena (Queen Anne) and Craig Zackey (All Done) could not restrain their horses. They galloped the course and were scratched.
The others pulled up their mounts and returned to the start. The horses were passed fit to race and reloaded.
The question many racing fans are asking is whether if this was not a false start, should Queen Anne and All Done not have been declared the winner.
However, Anderson’s report stated: “In light of the fact that all the jockeys reacted to the siren and made an attempt to pull up their horses, the stipendiary board, in the interest of racing, decided to treat this as a false start even though the starter had not activated the siren and it had gone off accidentally. – TAB News