Punters' body accuses BHA of double standards after latest stalls incident at Yarmouth

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The consistency of application of racing's controversial non-runner rule has come under fire again after an incident at Yarmouth on Thursday led the Horseracing Bettors Forum to urge the BHA to review it "sooner rather than later".

The governing body faced plenty of criticism last weekend when Benvenuto Cellini was declared a non-runner in the Betfred Derby, despite passing the post in tenth, due to his left hindleg resting on the stalls' shelf, which was deemed by stewards to have unfairly disadvantaged him at the start of the £2 million race.

• David Jennings: Welcome to the weird and wacky world of British racing - where common sense has become a non-runner 

Rule H (6), which was introduced by the BHA in 2024, enables stewards to declare a horse a non-runner if they deem it is denied a fair start in the stalls. 

It was put under the microscope once more on Thursday evening at Yarmouth after the James Owen-trained Wrist Art reared up in the stalls in the 1m2f classified race, unseated apprentice Christian Howarth and got a leg caught over the side of the stalls. He was deemed to be a runner following a stewards' inquiry after the race.

Owen described the decision as "totally unfair" and could not understand how the same outcome as the Derby did not apply to his horse.

Owen said: "It's not fair for the punters; he was second favourite. He definitely misbehaved, but he reared up before the stalls opened and got his leg over. He had no chance of racing."

It was something that Forum chief Sean Trivass agreed with. He said: "It exacerbates the situation, and it’s evident the rules need looking at in more detail, with possible changes to come sooner rather than later. I don’t know what the balancing act is between one having a foot on the stalls and this one rearing up. It just leaves us with more questions than answers.

What does rule (H)6 say?

6) The stewards may declare a horse a non-runner where:

6.1 In a race started from starting stalls, a horse is denied a fair start, and its chances are materially affected, including but not limited to where: a horse is prevented from starting on equal terms due to a faulty action of the starting stalls

"What we’d be worried about is that rules need to be interpreted and enacted, whether it’s a class 6 conditions race on the all-weather, or a Group 1 race in the Derby. All races need to be treated the same, and that doesn’t feel like it’s the case at the moment."

The incidents at Epsom and Yarmouth, and how they were handled, will ensure the rule will remain in the spotlight during Royal Ascot. Trivass believes that from a punter's perspective, there should be no difference in the rule based on the level of race, and that the BHA needs to offer clarity with plenty of eyes on the sport.

He said: "Royal Ascot is in the public eye, and millions will watch it on television. As a punters' representative body, a race on the all-weather at Wolverhampton on a Wednesday evening is just as important as any other race, so it needs to be placed across the board equally.

"We’d suggest the BHA needs to look at the rule. We said at the start that there were too many grey areas. They discussed it with us before they brought it in, and we said we understood the concept and that we’re not averse to anything that protects punters, but there were too many grey areas. I like to see things in black and white."

Following the Derby incident, the BHA posted a Q&A on X, explaining that had the starter noticed Benvenuto Cellini on three legs, he would not have started the race. In the same post, it explained that a horse who reared up before the stalls open would be "unlikely" to be declared a non-runner. 

When asked about the stalls incident involving Wrist Art, a BHA spokesperson said: "This rule has been in place since May 2024. A consistent framework is used by the stewards in the application of this rule, though these incidents happen in split seconds and every incident has to be considered on its specific circumstances, and therefore the stewards also have discretion in its application."

Read these next:

'It's totally unfair' - James Owen baffled by Yarmouth stewards' decision to declare horse a runner after stalls unseat 

Benvenuto Cellini farce is beyond belief - I'd be rich if I got a refund every time I backed a clumsy oaf 

Trainers urge stewards to receive in-running betting data to reach non-runner decisions after Benvenuto Cellini drama 

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