Racing Bureau/ Gold Circle can’t give answers.

21st of July greyville race meeting. My horse was carded as unshod to race. My trainer insisted that he called the day before at 12ish the day before to say she will be running with shoes. Before she entered the parade ring on race day we were told to either scratch or take the shoes off. We had travelled from far to watch the horse run so my trainer said we can try take the shoes off which we did and she went down to the pens not striding out so vet scratched her! She wasn’t getting traction as she had been in training for 4 months with shoes on and now was asked to take them off. The following day I called the racing bureau to see if my trainer had called in. All the calls are recorded. They told me they listened to the tapes and my trainer had called it in. So it was there fault. If my horse had run and won a cheque we would have had to pay the money back or my trainer would have been fined if she ran with shoes on. My trainer begged for a long time for them to please listen to the recordings and that he had called it in. So they wrong they have told me that they doing an “internal investigation” it’s now a month later no one wants to take my calls or they say the manager is on leave for a month then I call again then his in but I’m just not getting answers. No transparency. Who should get punished here? Does the owner get reimbursed for 4 months stabling Travel accommodation petrol and so forth. Not even an apology. It even makes me feel like It was done on purpose so that filly couldn’t run? A lot of unanswered questions? Is legal advise needed or any advice would be appreciated. Cheers

I will happily look into what happened here and revert as soon as I can.

Besides the fact that GC probably will say the call was made too late the day before and that they could do nothing on race day, you need to ask yourself, why did your trainer only phone the day before regarding racing in shoes when the horse had been training in shoes for 4 months? Was there a chance the horse was going to race without shoes?

I always under the impression that on Sahorseracing.co.za the trainers can make declarations and changes on the website as they have their own login's. Is this possible to do on the website ?

To my knowledge I think you have till 9am on race day to declare that if someone could clarify that if so then the day before is more then enough time to deliver the horse running with shoes. They have admitted he called in on time and that GC made the mistake but nothing is being done. I am getting brushed off. If it was the other way around the trainers get fined in a heart beat and owners have to refund stakes. It has to be fair both ways? Look as an owner it’s difficult to get a winner but it’s even harder when things like this happen. Mistakes happen yes but someone needs to take the rap!

That's my understanding too Tank

5.3 Racing Plates
5.3.1 All horses shall be deemed to be racing as shod at their last start, unless
a change is advised to NRB by the closing of declarations.
5.3.2 In the event that a horse is having its first run, then that horse shall be
deemed to be racing in alumites on all four hooves, unless NRB is advised
otherwise by the Trainer by the closing of declarations.

so declare may constitute an offence and the Trainer may be liable to a fine
5.3.3 Any subsequent change to the above must be declared to the Chairman of
the Stipendiary Board or the Racing Executive by 09:00 on the day of the
race, failing which the horse shall, at the discretion of the Chairman of the
Stipendiary Board, either be shod by the Farrier in terms of Conditions
5.3.1 or 5.3.2 or be withdrawn. Failure to so declare may constitute an
offence and the Trainer may be liable to a fine in terms of the Rules

naresh wrote: I always under the impression that on Sahorseracing.co.za the trainers can make declarations and changes on the website as they have their own login's. Is this possible to do on the website ?

Yes you can but some oldshool(normally) trainers not too tech savvy and still phones to nominate , declare or make changes.

Scratching of a declared runner must be done before 8h15am day of race and equipment changes before 9am day of race.

As soon as a horse is scratched or a equipment change is made , it will immediately reflecked on both gallop and sahorseracing.co.za website under card changes.

In this instance it appears that the operator never logged the cardchange and saved it on the system but also that the trainer never checked that it was done/reflected although he had plenty time to do it until 9am on raceday.
So my opinion both in the wrong , I always doublecheck for changes been made because human error does occur. I can honestly say 99% trainers always doublecheck the cardchanges they made online or what they phoned in.

Hope this help you understand better.

Thanks for your help! I just think if I called in the day before and they have it recorded I wouldn’t think too look twice. Trainer should of double checked correct but he also did what he was suppose to do. I still think GC is wrong and need to give me answers. All they saying is a internal investigation and I’m sure some of you can tell what does that mean.....Zero

Totally agree with you Tank but once again the trainer shouldn't in my opinion be phoning the day before, should have confirmed at time of acceptance unless there was a chance of the horse running unshod. The trainer should have also checked the next morning and not at race time, granted GC was in the wrong but as the trainer if you don't double check then the horse doesn't run irrespective of who is right or wrong.

All the investigation will prove is that the problem lies with GC, the explanation will be drivel and the compensation nil as GC are a power unto themselves that closes ranks and offers rubbish as explanations.

Horse was never suppose to run unshod. That gives me the answer I was looking for...nothing will happen but surely it needs to be challenged because what then stops it from happening again to someone else?

I cannot agree at all that it was the trainer's fault in any way, shape or form. He has to notify them within the timeframe and approved method, and doesn't have to double-check. If he was obliged to check, then there should be a procedure, you can't move the goalposts because the score doesn't suit.

This is as legit a claim as I have seen in a while and it's impossible that it goes without some serious sanction to those at fault or compensation to those injured. The unfairness is just startling to me.

I wouldn't know how to compensate because you can't unscramble the egg. Perhaps the trainer should get free noms for a year or something like that. The owner a decent table at the next July on them and a proper apology. Even the jock got screwed because someone can't complete a menial task properly. Whatever it can't fix what-might-have-been.

Strongly agree with you that GC needs to be challenged Tank and ensure you get a proper written response as there definitely should be compensation. The incident should also be reported to the NHA which must investigate.

The problem is that the system is loaded against the Owner, you pay for everything for the horse and sign over the Authority to Act and then recourse becomes a broken down telephone.