https://harnesslink.com/usa/fwd-mane-three-years-charlie-072124/An interesting “twist” in the hearings developed a few months later when there was a regional meeting of racing officials and a new rule was proposed, agreed upon and adopted known as the “Charlie May Rule,” providing that race officials to interview as many drivers as possible and other involved before a decision is made final; on any outcome.
Yet another Judge was summoned for testimony, and he affirmed without doubt that Charlie May was off stride with others making breaks.
Judges Down Under always interview other drivers in the race if need be.
Speaking about judges Down Under
Years ago (over 30) I bet a horse coming off a long layoff with back problems. They had a chiropractor working on him. After a 6-month layoff, he was in to race on a holiday weekend on Saturday and then back two days later. Back then many horses raced both days.
The trainer told me he was ready to go and to bet on him. The race was over 2400 meters (1 mile and a half), so I bet 200 to win and place and a 200 quinella with the 2nd favorite, who was 5-1. Everything was great and halfway down the straight he was third over and he pulled him off the back of the horse in front of him and flew down the outside, with 100 yards to go, he started trotting roughly and it was a slow-motion train wreck happening. He went offside 50 yard from the finish when he had taken the lead and galloped over the wire and won by a nose.
Over there at the time, it was certain that he was going to be relegated but I was hopeful that would put him back to 2nd as there was 6 lengths back to the 3rd horse. I knew one of the 3 judges and I said, "If U R going to relegate him, put him 2nd and he said, "We will see, I see your point, but you need to realize I am not the chief Judge and U know his record". Of course, the 3 judges voted 2-1 to put him back to last.
Had he been left in 2nd, I would have got the quinella 200 times $32.00. Over there at the time, they put up the provisional payoffs before an inquiry was resolved, the horse was paying $12.00 for each dollar. Over 9,000 I got effed out of.
Being the degenerate gambler I was back then, He was in to go Monday over a longer distance, so I wrote a bad check for $2,000 and stuck it on him. He won by 5 lengths, easy and paid $4.50 for each dollar. I went back to the race Secretary and got my bad check back. He had asked me if the check was good when I gave it to him before the race and I said, "Don't bank it until Tuesday, LOL. I had my own horse racing in the open trot the following week, so he knew me well. When I gave him the bad check he called the cashier up and said "give him 2,000" That experience was quite nerve-wracking because I had dropped over 4 grand on the Saturday after looking like winning $9,000 on the horse on that Saturday.
