A tougher onus of proof over the non-runners

Two years ago, after Red Cadeaux was beaten by a pixel's eyebrow in the Melbourne Cup, we wrote that the dead-heat was all but finished - a report that now appears to have been slightly exaggerated, if on the right tram.

Perhaps the proviso should have been "in major events", where the urgency to find a lone winner is much greater than among the rats and mice of daily racing.

Well, here we go again, asking the question whether last Saturday at Sha Tin signalled the death of punters getting a refund for incidents at the start, although the proposition has been ill for some time and so its passing would not be a shock.

When Graceful Kingdom, of his own volition, reared a split second before the gates opened, it was easy to see it as a standard incident with little prospect of him being declared a non-runner. Closer inspection showed, though, that the gate attendant did still have his hand on the horse's throat and had to snatch it back to avoid his arm being trapped between horse and gates. Trying to help, sure, but impeding the horse - as much as one man's arm can impede a 500kg horse - and once upon a time that alone would have been sufficient for non-runner status.

Then there was Hey Cheers. It could have been disputed whether Zac Purton was 100 per cent ready when the button was pushed - the horse had been mucking about, Purton was sitting on the side of the gate then only just climbed on and put his hands on the reins when the gates opened.

Even if the horse hadn't then twerked about, the jockey may have argued that the start happened with unreasonable haste.

At this column we don't think for a minute that these decisions are made simply on the basis of, "We don't want to give punters' money back".

And refunded bets are mostly just re-channelled bets anyway? When the club "has to return $X million" due to a late scratching or non-runner it isn't really $X million that would have been added. Unless it's the last race, returned bets probably get turned over that day and, if it is the final race, then it probably goes back into the machinery somewhere else or another day.

Stewards and other officials act in good faith, seeking to get it right for the sake of accuracy and adherence to the rules, but there does seem an increasingly tougher onus of proof on non-runners.

Things are flying at Sports Road. Turnover soars for reasons that are not all driven by the club, and it is difficult to challenge the view that everything is being done perfectly, ipso facto the numbers are up.

We don't think that club officials stamp the money "theirs" once it's bet, to be returned to the public only when it is prised from their cold, dead hands. But there will be members of the public who do think that and sour on it.