Racing: Starters told to move forward

Race starters will be required to be positioned forward of the barriers from next month, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) announced yesterday.

The best position for a starter to be located had been under investigation since the $40,000 Rotorua Stakes on May 13 was declared void when the barriers of more than half the field failed to open in unison.

No false start was declared but Rotorua's starter John Humphries subsequently said he would have done so had he been positioned forward of the starting stalls.

Humphries, a race starter in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty regions for about 15 years, at the time said he had always taken up a position behind the starting stalls.

Other starters around the country had also regularly taken up rearward positions but NZTR said that would change from August 1.

- NZPA