Saluting the Judge

When recently retired harness racing judge Bruce Young had his first day in the judge’s box at Ascot Park in September 1990, little did he know he’d be calling his biggest ever winning margin in his long career.

That margin, a staggering 41 lengths, was recorded by the one and only David Moss and in the years that followed nothing came close.

Young called it a day as a racecourse judge at the Winton meeting last Thursday after thirty five years.

“In 1993 I counted twenty three meetings in Southland and sixteen of those were before the New Year, so the season only ran from September through until April. It was more of a hobby to me back then. It’s now a full-time, part-time job (60+ meetings) and in the last few seasons I started to do Omakau, Roxburgh and Wyndham at Cromwell,” he said.

In all that time he hasn’t missed a first race start time or ventured to the wrong course.

“There were roadworks going to Winton one day. I got there before the non-tote (before the first race) with ten minutes to spare.”

Changes in technology have made a big impact on the job.

“I started off with the old black and white photos that would come down a shoot covered in solution. They were wet and awkward. We used to put a Perspex grid over the top and then try to remove it on quite a sticky surface. The print would quickly deteriorate and often the commentator would say the judge has requested a second photo but it was only because the first one had deteriorated so quickly.”

In the mid 1990s the black and white prints disappeared and were replaced by an image on a laptop screen.

“With the new hardware the quality has got better over time. You’ve got a curser that can move across the screen, blow things up and make the image lighter. It’s got to a point now where you can just about split a hair. But you’ve got to make your decision pretty quickly because you can’t be playing around with it for half an hour.”

One of the main issues Young face over the years was with the inside mirror used in the photo finish process and he recalls one such day at Winton in March 2011.

“The sun can cause a reflection from the photo finish mirror. It’s just a line that comes across the track. In the second last race a horse (I Am Legend-Dexter Dunn) jumped the reflection and broke up. They decided to put the cover across the mirror for the last race.”

As fate would have it, Young was faced with a tight call in the last, without any inside images.

“There was a large horse that completely obscured the smaller inside horse. It’s my job to place the horse’s nose as they cross the finish line and of course I couldn’t see the inside horse’s nose because I didn’t have the benefit of the mirror on the other side. So I made it a dead heat.”

Young said the Stipendiary Stewards weren’t happy with the decision and invited him down to their room for a ‘please explain.’

“They had a 100 inch television on the wall and were looking at a still image from a Trackside camera that wasn’t on the finish line. It was at the other end of the grandstand.”

After plenty of discussion the judges decision was deemed final with Holly Patron and Tic Tack Bromac declared joint winners.

Young can also recall a problem with the photo finish mirror when Lennon and Bought In The Pub deadheated in the 2003 Kindergarten Stakes.

“I wasn’t there that day, but it just wasn’t aligned properly with the camera.”

He says judging a horse race isn’t as straightforward as you think.

“I had this old photo finish photo from years ago and as a prank I’d put it in front of people and ask them to place the horses. They would place them first, second and third and I’d say wait a minute don’t you see four drivers. Obviously there were four horses in the print but you couldn’t see it, so you can be easily tripped up.”

Young labelled the Roxburgh judges box as the most difficult to get to.

“It’s so steep and the treads are so narrow. Then you’ve got Riverton, where you’re going out across the roof and there are very steep stairs back down into the grandstand.”

Asked if he has a highlight memory from his three decades in the job Young said he still vividly remembers the 2008 Southern Supremacy Stakes Final.

“When Auckland Reactor won the Southern Supremacy Final. He ended up being a champion, but he was a very good horse at that age to.”

He also remembers the day the Wyndham HRC held its first ever Sunday meeting, in November 1992. Oncourse the tote turned over a massive $213,708.

“That was a bloody good turnover compared with what we achieve today. Everything that day was $1.00 including a beer.”

Young labelled Clark Barron as executing the best winning salute.

“Clark looks up and looks you in the eye. Brent Barclay, Nathan and Matty Williamson and Craig Ferguson wouldn’t be too far behind him. They’re all very traditional in that sense.”

He says he was lucky to grow up in an era when there were more Cup Class horses racing both in Southland and at Forbury Park, and this whetted his appetite for the sport.

“You had Lord Modules, Trusty Scot and Sapling racing at Forbury Park. I remember No Return and Bee Bee Cee having some good clashes when they were down here.”

Young says he’ll miss the Southern Racing community but is looking forward to moving from his Newfield Four Square supermarket to Te Anau to take over the Four Square business there.

“It’s a far busier store in the summer. Obviously more seasonal than where we are at the moment and looking forward to the challenge.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink