Controversy reigned in the last race at Perth Racecourse in Scotland on Friday when the wrong horse was stunningly declared the winner before the result was reversed nearly an hour later, leaving punters and bookmakers alike shafted.
The final race on the card was a tight photo between stablemates Ksar D’Oudairies (4/1) and Fiskardo (14/1), both trained by Micky Bowen.
The judge called it for Ksar D’Oudairies, correct weight declared and bookmakers did what bookmakers do, they paid out and moved on. At that point, everyone watching assumed the job was done, the result locked away like any other tight finish that goes through the system.
That should have been the end of it.
The photo finish, Fiskardo on the ousdie, Ksar D’Oudairies the inside:
Instead, doubts quickly emerged when replays and stills began doing the rounds suggesting Fiskardo may have got the bob right where it matters.
What followed was the sort of slow burn confusion that only racing can produce, with the official result eventually overturned well after the fact, Fiskardo confirmed the winner by a nose in a decision that arrived long after punters had already been settled up.
The problem for punters is simple and brutal. The correction came after correct weight, so betting payouts stood as originally declared, which means the people who found the actual winner did their money cold, while those on the runner up were paid as if nothing had happened. It is one of those scenarios that sounds impossible until it plays out in real time.
The British Horseracing Authority has launched an inquiry into how the error occurred, with the judge and photo finish operator both interviewed as part of the review.
The stewards’ report read: “An enquiry was held to establish the circumstances surrounding why the judge incorrectly announced Ksar D’Oudairies as the winner and Fiskardo as the second placed horse, before subsequently re announcing the correct result after the weighed in signal was given.
“The judge, photo finish operator, and the chief steward were interviewed. Having heard their evidence, a report was forwarded to the head office of the British Horseracing Authority for further consideration.”
For backers of Fiskardo, it is just another creative way to do your dough, and a reminder that in racing, being right and getting paid are not always the same thing.
For bookmakers, given Ksar D’Oudairies was the shorter of the two horses at 4/1, they likely copped the wrong end of the stick to round out the three-day Carnival.
Racing TV’s Gordon Brown explains how things transpired at Perth:
"A controversial end to a really good three-day festival."@scotracing_gb reacts to the incorrect calling of the photo finish after the final race at Perth.
Fiskardo (14/1) has now been called the winner, with places reversed with now runner-up Ksar d'Oudairies pic.twitter.com/lpf0xszVQ0
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 24, 2026
