Harry Redknapp at centre of photo-finish row after camera mysteriously breaks as horses cross line
HARRY REDKNAPP is at the centre of a photo-finish controversy – after the camera used to decide the winner mysteriously broke down just as the horses crossed the line.
Legendary football manager Redknapp is co-owner of four-year-old gelding Mikimoto.
Redknapp’s horse Mikimoto, at the top of the photo, was judged to have come second in the tight finish, despite the photo-finish camera breaking at the crucial moment
The horse was a rapid finisher in the 2m5f novices’ hurdle race at Warwick on Monday.
Challenging all the way to the line, Mikimoto engaged in a thrilling head-bobber with Track And Trace.
The finish was way too close to call with the naked eye – with matters complicated by the fact the TV camera was not bang on the finish line.
Another, specific, photo-finish camera is situated flush on the line to call the winner.
But on this occasion it stopped working just as the two horses finished at 32mph.
It appeared the only way to judge the winner was from using the grainy snap generated from the TV footage.
That is of a much lesser quality than the HD camera used to judge the tighest of margins, which can come down to a matter of centimetres.
Track And Trace was called the winner but Mikimoto’s trainer Martin Keighley is not so sure.
He said jockey Sean Bowen, who was in the saddle, is adamant they should appeal.
Keighley also said he would speak to Redknapp and fellow co-owner Karen Salters about raising an objection.
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The trainer said: “I think it’s quite harsh, they’ve got no evidence of the line.
“They’re just going from a line on the ground that’s been made, that’s not good enough
“The fair decision would have been a dead-heat
“The freeze-frame from a camera they showed me to make the decision is not good enough.
“Sean thinks we should appeal. There’s no clarity, a fair decision was a dead-heat but without that proper photo I just think it’s unfair.”
Attempting to explain how the crucial bit of kit failed at just the wrong time, the stewards’ report read: “The stewards held an enquiry to consider why the photo-finish cameras had failed in the first race.
“They interviewed the judge and the photo-finish operator, who explained that having triggered the photo-finish it initially began to record, before failing as the horses crossed the line.
“He added that the equipment was re-tested before the start of race two.
“Having heard their evidence, the stewards ordered a report to be forwarded to the British Horseracing Authority.”
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