Some punters at Epsom will have found themselves in ‘absolute chaos’ after Benvenuto Cellini was ruled a non-runner.
The three-year-old was the heavy favourite going into this year’s Derby.
However, Benvenuto Cellini did not live up to its billing and rarely threatened during the race, which was won by Christmas Day.
Despite the poor display on the track, punters who got behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained horse were given a lucky reprieve.
Why was Benvenuto Cellini a non-runner in the Epsom Derby?
That’s because Benvenuto Cellini was declared a non-runner due to not getting a fair start, as ITV cameras showed the horse with his left hind leg up in the stalls.
It resulted in a Rule 4, which means punters’ winnings are reduced while those who bet on Benvenuto Cellini had their wagers refunded.
Reacting to replays of the start prior to a Rule 4 being invoked, an ITV commentator said: “If we go with precedent and of course that’s not always the case in these sorts of inquiries, this is exactly the same that happened to Harry Angel.
“Look at the hind leg on the shelf of the stall. When we go to jump away, that leg stays in that position. You see Ryan [Moore] look down.
“Now, that happened to Harry Angel, I think it was in the Coronation Cup and it also happened at Chepstow relatively recently.
“Now, this will create absolute chaos in the betting ring. But, I think if they follow precedent, then that horse will be deemed not to have had a fair start.”
Shaun Parker’s explanation for non-runner verdict
Shaun Parker, Head of Stewarding for the British Horse Racing Authority, later explained how he came to declaring Benvenuto Cellini a non-starter.
“Soon after the horse had left the starting gates, we were notified that the favourite had his left hind leg on the running board,” Parker said on ITV.
“As the start was affected, which resulted in him then not being able to jump on terms. We then considered the fact that in terms of our rules, he had been denied a fair start.
“Having got evidence from Ryan Moore (jockey of Benvenuto Cellini) importantly in terms of what the instructions were and where they actually wanted to be in terms of the race, he wanted to be more forward.
“We noted he was very slow to stride and was second-last shortly after the start and really on the back foot from the start, and his race had basically been, in our view, negatively effected.”
Although Benvenuto Cellini didn’t deliver the race O’Brien had hoped, the Irish trainer was still jumping for joy given Derby winner Christmas Day is one of his horses.
Christmas Day’s win was O’Brien’s 12th Derby victory, with Ronan Whelan riding the Irish horse to victory.
