This is a major bugbear for many followers as there seems to be regular cases that there is one rule for some and another rule for others - usually the big names v the battlers. Could list countless issues here but just going to touch on a couple of rules that seem to be only applied sparingly which is when its the most frustrating.
The first point though is something that I never hear mentioned too often but it always gets me. It is when a trotter gallops in the last part of a race and everybody wonders whether that horse will keep the race and a protest is generally fired in every time by either the placegetters or the stewards. You never hear anything though when a horse gallops for 100 metres with two laps to go and gets up to win but seriously, what is the difference? There is no difference in reality but I reckon over the years I have seen 1000 trotters win after galloping at some part early in a race and their win is never questioned, yet I have seen many horses relegated for doing exactly the same thing in the home straight despite not gaining ground. Would have been interesting if Rostevarren held on to win on Sunday afternoon after breaking in the straight.
Sprint Lanes and Marker Pegs are another issue and more specifically horses being disqualified for entering the sprint lane or knocking over or going inside the pegs. This rule is that inconsistently applied it isn't funny and seems to be the flavour of the month every 2 months or so and a few get pinged then nothing happens until there is another blitz a couple of months later. It should be easy to adjudicate this one but the only consistencies regarding the rule currently is that if a big name driver or a short priced favourite breaks the rule then its okay whilst the battler cops it every time and that it gets applied only once every blue moon.
Could go on and on with things such as suspensions, relegation, etc but leave it at that for now
