ITV Racing hosts were left stunned and admitted ‘we’ve never seen this before’ after a flag start was used for the feature Group 1 at Glorious Goodwood.
Punters branded the start to the mega-money Nassau Stakes ‘absolutely embarrassing’.
The Sussex track was helpless amid a torrential 25mm downpour on the third day of their Glorious festival.
But it was the thunder and lightning overhead that sparked a very unusual start to the 1m2f contest for fillies.
In Flat races, horses always break from the starting stalls.
But the dangerous weather meant they couldn’t use them here, with a flag start - like the ones seen in jumps racing - having to be employed.
The ITV hosts including Ed Chamberlin and Sun Racing’s Matt Chapman said they had never seen a flag start used for a Group 1 - the top-tier level of races.
It didn’t stop winner Whirl, though, who thrived in the mud for winning trainer Aidan O’Brien and drenched jockey Ryan Moore.
But even the globetrotting rider said he had never raced in a Group 1 from a flag start before.
There was nothing in the stewards’ report about the rarely seen move but Chamberlin declared on the main channel: “We’ve never seen this before.”
More to follow.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare - www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware - www.gambleaware.org
Find our.
