
The rules of lodging objections
PUBLISHED: September 10, 2025
David Thiselton One aspect of horseracing that the public often appear to have a misunderstanding of is the lodging of objections, with particular reference to who lodges the objection. A regular lament heard in racing circles, in the case where a jockey, trainer or owner lodges an obvious looking objection, is, “Why did […]
David Thiselton
One aspect of horseracing that the public often appear to have a misunderstanding of is the lodging of objections, with particular reference to who lodges the objection.
A regular lament heard in racing circles, in the case where a jockey, trainer or owner lodges an obvious looking objection, is, “Why did the stipendiary stewards not lodge the objection? They must have been sleeping.”
The common misconecption is that trainers, jockeys and owners only object if the stipendiary stewards do not object.
This is false.
The relevant rules on the lodgement of objections state:
67.7.1 An OBJECTION shall be made in WRITING and signed by the PERSON lodging it, within the time limits laid down in RULE 68.2. Except when lodged by a LICENSED OFFICIAL, such confirmation shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee, which may be refunded at the discretion of the OBJECTION BOARD.
67.7.2 An OBJECTION may only be lodged by the following PERSONS: 67.7.2.1 LICENSED OFFICIALS; 67.7.2.2 the OWNER and/or TRAINER, or their AUTHORISED AGENT, of a HORSE which participated in the RACE concerned; 67.7.2.3 the RIDER of a HORSE in the RACE concerned.
68.2 Notification of intention to object on any of the grounds referred to in this RULE shall be given verbally to the Clerk of the Scales and/or the Chief Stipendiary Steward of the SB prior to the ALL CLEAR being announced in terms of RULE 66.3.3. The notification of an OBJECTION must be confirmed in WRITING and the prescribed fee paid, or the OBJECTION withdrawn within a further 3 minutes from the expiry of the time referred to in 86 this RULE. There will be no penalty if the notification of intention to object is withdrawn within the stipulated time. In the event that any OBJECTION referred to in this RULE is not confirmed, such OBJECTION shall lapse.
The stipendiary stewards, upon seeing obvious interference in a race that might have affected the result, will immediately announce a “race review”. This is relayed to the commentator, who announces it publicly.
The stipes will then have a look at the race replays and decide whether there are grounds for an objection or not.
Close races are usually accompanied by emotions and this is particularly the case when a horse who should have won is hampered and loses narrowly.
The end result is that a trainer, jockey or one of the other connections, will sometimes burst into the boardroom and lodge an objection.
The stipendiary stewards might still be reviewing the race when this happens.
They cannot stop one of the connections from objecting.
As the rule states any one of the following may lodge an objection: a licensed official, the trainer or owner or their authorised agent, or the jockey.
The only difference when one of the connections objects, as opposed to one of the licensed officials, is that the former will have to pay a prescribed fee in order to lodge the objection.
This fee is forfeited if the stipes consider the objection to have been unwarranted. In addition, they may in rare cases impose a fine not exceeding R3000 on the PERSON lodging the OBJECTION.
The question then is why would one of the connections risk the fee when a stipendiary steward could object?
The answer could be that in an obvious case they would know there is no chance of the fee being forfeited, but they might believe the time in which the objection has to be lodged could lapse and would not want to risk that. An objection being lodged might also simply serve as an emotional release.
Tied in with the first common misconception mentioned is the belief that if the stipendiary stewards do not object, the objection has less chance of being upheld. The likely reason for this is due to the misconception that if the stipes decided not to object then they must have believed there were no grounds for it and they were thus unlikely to change their minds in the ensuing objection inquiry.
The other common public belief is that if the stipendiary stewards object there is more chance of the objection being upheld.
There is an inkling of truth in this, because the stipes will generally view the interference from all angles and in much more detail than the connections would have been able to. Obviously that takes a bit of time and the stipes will get a good idea of the nature of the interference during the review.
Likening this to football, when VAR suggests to the referee that he or she should come and have a look at the VAR replay, the decision is usually reversed because VAR would have been able to look at the incident in a lot more detail.
In horseracing the longer the review takes, the more chance there is of one of the connections objecting. This is why in the 50/50 cases it is often one of the connections, rather than a licensed official, who objects.
However, it is not necessarily the case that an objection lodged by the stipes will be upheld, because the first part of the process is just to ascertain whether the objection is warranted and there then has to be deliberation on whether the interfered with horse would otherwise have won the race.
Furthermore, only one stipendiary steward lodges the objection and he or she is then not allowed to be on the ensuing objection board.
If there are not three stipes to do it when one of them steps down then another licensed official is co-opted on to the objection board.
The officials on the objection board might well disagree with the official who lodged the objection.

Vaal Classic Thursday 11 September 2025 – Comments by David Thiselton
PUBLISHED: September 10, 2025
RACE 1 6 PIVOTAL ROLE 4 LEGAL FLAME 1 RINGHO 3, HAMMER BLOW Preview: 6 PIVOTAL ROLE is well-bred being by Hawwaam and a half-brother to Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla. 4 LEGAL FLAME is by Legislate and is a half-brother to a four-time winner. 1 RINGHO has run some fair […]
RACE 1
6 PIVOTAL ROLE 4 LEGAL FLAME 1 RINGHO 3, HAMMER BLOW
Preview: 6 PIVOTAL ROLE is well-bred being by Hawwaam and a half-brother to Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla. 4 LEGAL FLAME is by Legislate and is a half-brother to a four-time winner. 1 RINGHO has run some fair races and is the one to beat of the two to have raced. 3 HAMMER BLOW is by What A Winter and is a half-brother to a couple of two-time winners. (David Thiselton 6-4-1-3)
RACE 2
5 RACEWAY, 2 EMPRESS WU 1 MISS MUNROE 9 QUEENSLAND
Preview: 5 RACEWAY has shown ability before and has a chance here over a step-down in trip which could suit. 2 EMPRESS WU is often right there and should be again in this field. 1 MISS MUNROE has a form chance in this line-up. 9 QUEENSLAND can be a factor if bouncing back to the form of her debut. (David Thiselton 5-2-1-9)
RACE 3
8 WINSTON’S WONDER 4 ROYALE JACKET 5 WINCHESTER 6 STORM BURST
Preview: 8 WINSTON’S WONDER has run two good races and has a reasonable draw over this suitable step up in trip. 4 ROYALE JACKET went close last time over 1400m and from pole position should be a big runner here. 5 WINCHESTER was not disgraced last time over this course and distance with first-time cheek pieces on and has a good draw. 6 STORM BURST is capable of placing in this field. (David Thiselton 8-4-5-6)
RACE 4
3 FIRE IN HER SOUL 2 ASIAH’S TIARA 9 VAMANOS 1 TIPPERARY
Preview: 3 FIRE IN HER SOUL has the form to go close. 2 ASIAH’S TIARA is capable of winning this race against an uninspiring field. 9 VAMANOS has a chance in this line-up but does have a wide draw. 1 TIPPERARY has the form to go closer but she does have a wide draw. (David Thiselton 3-2-9-1)
RACE 5
3 PEREGRINE FALCON 1 SPY STORY 2 HIS LORDSHIP 6 MARIACHI MADNESS
Preview: 3 PEREGRINE FALCON is well drawn and looks to be the one to beat. 1 SPY STORY ran a cracker last time and will appreciate the step up in trip. 2 HIS LORDSHIP should be a big runner in this field and he should have come on from his last start. 6 MARIACHI MADNESS is drawn in pole and has a chance on form. (David Thiselton 3-1-2-6)
RACE 6
6 CHANTILLY DREAM 2 LITTLEMISSSPLENDID 1 PRETTY ANALIA 9 SHEETS AND GOGGLES
Preview: 6 CHANTILLY DREAM looks to be a promising sort and off an 85 merit rating could go close, but she does have to overcome a wide draw. 2 LITTLEMISSSPLENDID ran well against a good sort last time over this trip and from a good draw should be in the shake-up. 1 PRETTY ANALIA is capable of running on well and should be right there too. 9 SHEETS AND GOGGLES won well in the Maidens and off a 65 merit rating from a good draw could be in the frame. (David Thiselton 6-2-1-9)
RACE 7
3 STREISAND 4 ACCEPT COOKIES 1 KISSHOTEN 5 AVOONTOAST
Preview: 3 STREISAND looks to be a promising sort and she could progress further. 4 ACCEPT COOKIES is well drawn over an ideal trip and should go close. 1 KISSHOTEN won well last time but is 3.5 kilograms worse off with Accept Cookies for a 2.9 length beating. 5 AVOONTOAST is capable of earning in this line up for an Inform Yard. (David Thiselton 3-4-1-5)
RACE 8
6 SALT LAKE CITY 3 TRIDENT KING 2 GREENLIGHT RACER 1 GUERILLA WARFARE
Preview: 6 SALT LAKE CITY won well in the maidens over 1,400 and off an 84 merit rating could go close from pole position. 3 TRIDENT KING has some fair form and should be in the shake-up. 2 GREENLIGHT RACER won well in the maidens and if able to overcome a wide draw could be in the shake-up here. 1 GUERILLA WARFARE has shown enough to be able to earn here. (David Thiselton 6-3-2-1)

Get Ready for a Game Changer! Introducing Colossus – Bigger Pools, More Control!
PUBLISHED: September 10, 2025
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Soccer Updates and Carryovers – Friday 12 and Saturday 13 September 2025.
PUBLISHED: September 10, 2025
Soccer10 Friday 12 September 2025. ADD-IN: R175 000. Estimated Pool: R2 Million. Pool Closes at 20h00, Sport 15 Pool 1. Soccer4 Saturday 13 September 2025. ADD-IN: R25 000. Estimated Pool: R 100 000. Pool Closes at 16h00. Sport 18 Pool 2. Soccer10 Saturday 13 September 2025. ADD-IN: R175 000. Estimated Pool: R2 Million. Pool Closes […]
Soccer10 Friday 12 September 2025. ADD-IN: R175 000. Estimated Pool: R2 Million. Pool Closes at 20h00, Sport 15 Pool 1.
Soccer4 Saturday 13 September 2025. ADD-IN: R25 000. Estimated Pool: R 100 000. Pool Closes at 16h00. Sport 18 Pool 2.
Soccer10 Saturday 13 September 2025. ADD-IN: R175 000. Estimated Pool: R2 Million. Pool Closes at 15h30. Sport 7 Pool 1.
Soccer Any 13Xtra Saturday 13 September 2025. C/Over: R200 000. Estimated Pool: R500 000. Pool Closes at 13h30. Sport 13 and Pool 1.
Soccer SCORES C/Over: R 79 439. Saturday 13 September 2025. Pool Closes at 15h30. Sport 72.
Soccer CORNERS C/Over: R 9 475. Saturday 13 September 2025. Pool Closes at 16h00. Sport 71.

South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Cork (IRE) – 10 September 2025
PUBLISHED: September 10, 2025
Please Note : South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Cork (IRE) – 10 September 2025
Please Note : South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Cork (IRE) – 10 September 2025