Racing: Cambridge race distance mix-up didn't affect result

Champion Waikato driver David Butcher says the distance mix-up that marred Saturday night's feature at Cambridge did not decide the outcome of the race.

Butcher drove second favourite De Lovely, who flew home for second to Lancome, in the Nevele R Fillies heat over a mile.

The only problem is the race wasn't supposed to be a mile, but over 1700m.

A mistake saw the official racebook printed with the race distance as 1609m, even though it had been officially advertised and programmed as 1700m.

Starter Colin Courtney, who uses the official racebook at his racenight bible, duly started the race from the mile start point.

While many punters would not have realised the mistake at the time it would be easy for some to make that case the race being 91m shorter cost De Lovely victory, as she looked unlucky and could have won had she had that extra 91m.

Butcher, who drove the filly, says the mistaken shortening of the race was not to blame.

"It wasn't the fact it became a mile rather than 1700m that cost us," said Butcher.

"We got pushed out just after the 1000m mark and she over-reacted and lost three or four lengths.

"It is wasn't for that she might have won but it was a legal pushout so it was actually her fault she got beaten."

What could really irk punters though is most serious harness racing bettors know the mile start point at Cambridge is so bad it is almost impossible to win from outside draws.

So at least some of those who gave De Lovely a winning chance and backed her from the 1700m start point would have not been so keen to be on her over a mile. Those punters, sadly, do their money with no recourse.

Stewards looked into the incident straight after the race and the majority of trainers involved agreed the mix-up had not changed the result.

The JCA, therefore, allowed the result to stand.

While such distance mix-ups are rare, the latest being at Omakau two years ago, they are still an embarrassment for the industry, especially as the Nevele R Series is one of the longest-running and best known in harness racing.

The JCA made the comment the mix-up should provide clubs with warning as to the importance of proof reading their racebooks.

The bottom line is the result wouldn't have been different had the race been run over 1700m, but betting patterns, especially for big punters, could have been had they known it was going to be over 1609m.

Lancome's win was still a brave one and the little filly capped another great night for Mark Purdon, who earlier reined Major Mark to the most convincing win of his career in the Sires' Stakes heat.

The classy colt still showed a few chinks in his armour but was way too strong for Major Obsession.

In doing so, Major Mark paced the mile in 1:56.8 and suggested Cambridge will hold no fears for him come Jewels time on June 5.