RACING fans were calling for VAR as some claimed a ‘bent line’ was used to judge a photo finish.
This incredible snap showed just how tight the margin was as Maazle snatched the £10,500 first-place prize over rival Narvaez in a race in Australia.
One viewer said the result was so close the winner had come out on top by a ‘piece of snot’ margin.
But eagle-eyed fans spotted the line used to separate the horses appeared to be bent at the top.
The result was that it looked like the line had been angled away from the runner up and tilted in towards the winner.
One Twitter user wrote: “That line looks crooked. Do they have VAR activated?”
Another posted: “Is that line bent?”
A fellow punter said: “Surely that’s a dead heat! Pocket talking.”
While another comment read: “That’s a dead heat – no way there is a margin.”
And another wrote: “That was a dead heat, how could they split that?”
Cracking finish! Maazle gets up on the outside.
pic.twitter.com/UHdhDn7XbH
— Racing.com (@Racing) November 27, 2020
A fellow user raged: “Dead heat, f*** off.”
Despite fan anger the race result stood – with another video showing trainer Andrew Homann celebrating as his horse crossed the line.
He said afterwards: “He’s a lovely horse, he’s nice. He’ll go forward, don’t worry.”
This is the latest photo finish talking point to hit racing.
A dead heat was called at Cheltenham earlier this month, with the photo taking place in near darkness.
Elle Est Belle and Ishkhara Lady were adjudged to have dead-heated after the judges could not split them.
Andrew Homann gets a winner at @CranTurfClub!
We bet he gave Maazle a good cheer home..
pic.twitter.com/4h01rfgJRa
— Pakenham Racing Club (@PakenhamRacing) November 27, 2020
But many were in shock at the decision made by the stewards as they felt it was clear Ishkhara Lady just edged it.
Bookies paid out on both horses, with the almost pitch-black photo hardly proving conclusive.
And fans were equally perplexed after a Huntingdon race was decided by a ‘flared nostril’.
Paul D’Arcy’s 18-1 shot Commander Rocks was given the race ahead of The Turtle Said despite it looking like a dead heat.
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