Bookmakers were left seething at Gowran yesterday after inadequate photo-finish equipment forced the Turf Club judge to award a dead heat between the favourite for the McEnery Handicap, General Cloney, and the 14 to 1 outsider Khatani.
The general consensus after the race was that Khatani had finished just in front but a print was called for and after an almost 15 minute wait a dead heat was called.
However, the print was then displayed to the public and it indicated strongly that Khatani had indeed "won". So strongly that one bookmaker exclaimed: "That's a bloody joke."
The judge, Andrew McKeever, though appeared to have little choice. The mirror on the finishing post gave a blurred image of General Cloney's nose and as McKeever reported, a photo-finish decision can only be given on the positions of the horses noses.
"On the basis that I couldn't see the other horse's head I had no alternative but to award a dead heat. The mirror is just a sheet of aluminium. We've had a report in looking for proper mirrors and really there should be a good mirror at every racecourse.
I thought the Aga Khan's horse (Khatani) had won when they passed the post but I was surprised with the picture. It's very deceiving and if there is an appeal there is no way one can say for definite that the Mullins horse (General Cloney) didn't get there," McKeever said.
The trainers, Willie Mullins and John Oxx, were initially happy to share the spoils. Oxx left the track quickly but Mullins said that technically the judge's decision was correct before adding: "General Cloney has a big nose, thank God!"
The other major news yesterday was that the champion apprentice, Shane Kelly, received a 12-day ban for making insufficient effort on Sesame Heights who finished third in the AIB Maiden. The filly's trainer, Frances Crowley, was also fined £500 for using the racecourse as a training ground and Sesame Heights was banned from racing for 42 days.
The latest Aidan O'Brien two-year-old to win was the ultra-impressive Thady Quill who absolutely hacked up in the opener and is now a possible for the Anglesey Stakes.
