I’m sure many racing fans will have seen the pictures of what happened, or almost happened, at Chelmsford on Saturday night, either live or more likely, after the event. It was a very near miss that could have given the sport a huge problem to deal with.

Luckily, this will go down as a near miss and nothing else. But for me, it must also go down as a warning. Racing has been far too slow when it comes to implementing technology within the sport, and it’s time to change that.

Instead, racing needs to embrace technology, use it wisely, and, like many other sports that take place around the world, grow because of it.

Racing’s Outdated Flag System Saves the Day

Let’s first point out two important facts before going a little deeper here. Yes, the signal worked and prevented what would have been a terrible incident from happening. And secondly, thanks to the signal working, there were no injuries at all reported.

But let’s now look at what actually happened on Saturday night and highlight the outdated method that was used.

The tractor used to pull the starting stalls off the course had a gear failure and could not move. The race in question used the full circuit, so runners needed to go past the start again, and the stalls were blocking their path.

It was apparent to all that there was a problem, on course and those watching on TV, but the jockeys were completely unaware of this. The method of stopping them and warning them of what was in their path was for the starter of the race to run down the track to the bend before the stalls and wave his flag, hoping to attract the attention of jockeys.

Luckily for those involved, he was able to attract their attention. They followed the stop-race procedure, and everyone managed to pull up their horses before they reached the starting stalls.

I can only imagine what connections must have been feeling, watching the events unfold on track. Given the amount of money it costs to buy and train a racehorse, we are talking about big money. It’s only fair that racing steps up and keeps everyone safe.

But in 2024, almost 2025, is the current setup really good enough? Our safety net, preventing what could have been a very nasty incident, was a man running with a flag.

It’s time racing moved with the times and implemented technology more across the sport. We could have alarms for false starts played over a dedicated tannoy system that could have speakers installed around the track. This would surely work better than the current system.

Alternatively, something such as emergency lighting, either built into the running rail or put on signposts at the side of the rail, would also work to gain the attention of riders in a race, if needed.

Racing has long since been described as a traditional sport. I like the traditions of racing on the whole, but there are definitely parts of it that are beginning to feel a little stuck in the past.

“We did miraculously well there to stop.”

Ali Rawlinson and Marco Ghiani talk to @Nick__lightfoot about tonight’s extraordinary finale and the starting stalls unable to be removed from the track pic.twitter.com/n4frniBHsB

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 9, 2024

I’m convinced that adding technology to racing overall would be beneficial. When it comes to safety, it should be a no-brainer.

On Saturday we averted a crisis, leaving us with an incident that became a talking point within racing. However, a few seconds later, it would have been a worldwide talking point and one where racing would be left defending itself again.

Embrace change, embrace technology, and leave nothing to chance would be my message to those in racing.