Only 35 allowed and he is number 36. So 2 questions: 1. What does this mean for bets placed on him? 2. If there is a withdrawal, does that let him back in?
I reckon that as "there will be no charges/fees to the owner, if it doesn't run, it is as if the horse was never declared, in which case all bets will be void.
1 - Refunded as he was balloted out. 2 - Do we have reserves in our handicaps yet? Bar the Shergar Cup?
I don't know. There is no mention of it but it seems a bit odd if 35 runners are allowed and those balloted out can't replace NRs. With a drastic change of going, we could conceivably end up with a race with (say) 18 runners when 35 were allowed.
Nass is right. If the horse is balloted out, ante post punters get their money back. If he had been withdrawn, they would have done their money. As far as I am aware, there are no reserves in the Cambrideshire. If there were, Rule 1 would not apply if the horse got in. Shame for Air Pilor punters – they have done their money.
True, I managed to completely say the wrong thing there. The punters do get their money back so they have not “done their money”, other than the fact that the horse was nearly a stone well in at the weights and would surely have hosed up, making them a healthy ante-post profit. Very disappointing for the owners as wherever they next decide to run their charge, they will find that he is not nearly as well treated. That is not to say that he is not good enough to win off his revised mark or in a higher grade.
With two non-runners already in the Cambridgeshire by the time The Morning Line aired, the owners of Air Pilot must have been fuming over their cornflakes. If there had been reserves for the race, they would be running.
They must also take some responsibility however as if this were his target they played it tight by hoping he would get in on his mark, they could have ensured he was a little higher. It's a fine line in keeping his weight as low as possible whilst ensuring they get in, part of managing the handicap system. Cornrow is a classic example as he is undoubtedly better than his mark but it has been managed to ensure he is in but at a reasonably low weight.
To be fair to them, he clearly is a fragile horse and perhaps they only have had him right for a short period of time.
I think they should allow him to be supplemented at a knock down price, or free. It's crazy balloting him out when there is till the likelihood of withdrawalsMaybe balloting should be at the overnight declaration stage (don't know if that would have made any difference in this case).
I believe they should leave declarations until the 24hr stage for big field handicaps. If the ground changes, horses who should get a run are being balloted out and fields are getting reduced too.
Supplementary entries for handicaps would be a complete non-starter. If your horse wins by six lengths on Saturday enter him quickly for a race at the start of the next week before the handicapper reassesses his rating. Not very fair on the other horses that entered by the original closing date. Also, would Air Pilot’s connections really want to enter him off his new rating on Thursday or Friday? I think not. They should have just had reserves – with those that dropped out today the reserves would have got a run.
