Punters Vent Fury Over Betting Loss After Jockey Falls Pre-Race
Horse racing enthusiasts have been left seething after a controversial incident at Chepstow racecourse, where the favourite Love Of Neymore lost its jockey before the race even began, yet was still classified as a runner by officials. The decision has sparked a heated debate over betting fairness and stewarding rules.
Incident at Chepstow Sparks Widespread Discontent
During the 2m7½f mares' handicap hurdle at Chepstow, Love Of Neymore, the 15-8 favourite, ducked left as it approached the starting tape, unseating jockey Charlie Price. The horse took no part in the race, which was ultimately won by Jalisco Star, ridden by champion jockey Sean Bowen at odds of 2-1.
Despite this, stewards working for the British Horseracing Authority reviewed the start and concluded that Love Of Neymore should be deemed a runner. Their official report stated: "Having reviewed the start, the stewards were satisfied that Love Of Neymore, ridden by Charlie Price, was deemed to be a runner as the rider was mounted as the start was effected before unseating Price when whipping round shortly thereafter."
Betting Public Reacts With Anger and Confusion
This ruling meant that backers of the Robbie Llewellyn-trained mare with certain bookmakers did not receive refunds on their stakes, leading to an outpouring of frustration on social media platform X. One disgruntled punter questioned: "How can you consider that a runner? It literally did not run at any point." Another added: "Surely Love Of Neymore voided?" while a third commented: "If you can’t win, which clearly happened here; surely you can’t lose?"
In a gesture of goodwill, a couple of firms including bet365 and Paddy Power did refund bets, but this was not a universal practice, highlighting inconsistencies in how bookmakers handle such scenarios.
Rule Changes and Stewarding Clarifications
The controversy comes against the backdrop of a rule change confirmed by the BHA in September 2025. This amendment allows stewards to declare a horse a non-runner in jumps races if they determine it has been denied a fair start due to reasons outside its control. However, the rule explicitly does not apply to incidents where a horse's own behaviour, such as planting or spinning around, prevents it from jumping away on terms.
BHA Head of Stewarding Shaun Parker explained the rationale behind the change: "This rule change provides clarity for participants and bettors, harmonising the Rules in Britain across the two codes to provide greater consistency. It also ensures that all of our races, regardless of starting procedure, align with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities model rule and the approach applied by other major jurisdictions."
Parker emphasised that the update is fundamentally about fairness: "Ultimately, this is about fairness, both for the participants and the betting public and I’m very pleased we have been able to reach this point for this reason. While this is a rule that has been required only around half a dozen times since its introduction in races beginning with starting stalls last year, it is clear that it has been well received and that there was a desire to see this further change come about."
The incident at Chepstow underscores ongoing tensions in the sport between regulatory decisions and betting outcomes, with punters calling for greater transparency and consistency in how such cases are handled to protect their investments.
