This would have to go into the ‘and now for something completely different’ category.
What are the odds that you would get a dead-heat in a two horse race … and then have to wait for a possible protest hearing in the stewards room before the result was made official.
It happened at Wolverhampton this week in the clash between Golden Sands (the 1-6 favourite) and the 4-1 chance Havana Goldrush.
After the race it took five minutes for the judge to call the dead-heat and a further fifteen minutes while stewards deliberated as to whether any interference had occurred in the running.
The stewards ultimately ruled that the result past the post would stand … thus confirming the dead-heat result.
It is believed this was the first dead-heat in a two-horse race in England since 2012 when Ayaar (ridden by Martin Harley) and Snowboarder (ridden by Frankie Dettori) could not be separated in a Novice stakes at Lingfield.