Harry Redknapp’s latest jumps horse, Mikimoto, was denied a first-time-out win in a novices’ hurdle race at Warwick on Monday. The 11-2 chance was co-owned by Redknapp and Karen Salters. The horse was bought in March for £46,000. The race ended in a photo-finish controversy, with the photo-finish camera not working just as the horses crossed the line. The winner was announced as Jonjo O’Neill’s Track And Trace, with Mikimoto coming in second. Trainer Martin Keighley was unhappy with the outcome and claimed that it was an “unfair” result. Keighley has been urged to appeal the result.
The stewards held an inquiry and interviewed the photo-finish operator and judge to determine why the photo-finish cameras had failed. They explained that the camera initially began recording before failing as the horses crossed the line. The equipment was re-tested before the start of race 2. The stewards ordered a report to be forwarded to the British Horseracing Authority.
Keighley was unhappy with the outcome and claimed that the decision was harsh. He took a photo of what the stewards showed him and claimed that there was no evidence of the line. He believed that a fair decision would have been a dead-heat. Jockey Sean Bowen also thought that Keighley should appeal.
Redknapp, who has managed several Premier League teams including Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Southampton, QPR, and Birmingham, has a number of horses in training, including the Keighley-trained Back On The Lash, who contested the Grand National in April.
The race was closely contested, with Mikimoto crossing the line locked together with Track And Trace. The result was called with Track And Trace announced as the winner, but the broken photo-finish camera caused controversy. Keighley was unhappy with the decision and believed that a dead-heat would have been a fair outcome.
Several betting apps, including Betfair, Tote, Virgin Bet, Paddy Power, and Sky Bet, were offering free bets on the race.
