Punter pain: Musselburgh bookmaker admits starting prices were 'unacceptable'

The starting prices for two races at Musselburgh on Friday have been described as "unacceptable" by bookmaker Bert Logan, who bets regularly at the track and was at a loss to account for them.

The five-runner five-furlong handicap won by Red Pike had an overround of 132 per cent (more than six per cent per runner), whereas it might typically have been expected to have been closer to 110 per cent (a more acceptable two per cent per runner), and in Scotland usually less, as the markets are normally very competitive.

Another five-furlong handicap later on the card with six runners was won by Economic Crisis and returned an overround of 124 per cent, or four per cent per runner.

None of the other races came close to such excessive overrounds, but only the opening 1m1f handicap returned a starting price percentage of less than two per cent per horse.

Logan, who was one of only eight bookmakers in a ring that would normally have twenty or more, said: "In Scotland we normally bet too near the bone, often at one per cent or less per runner, which is really difficult, and I wasn't conscious of those overrounds until somebody pointed them out. Even then, I had no idea that the Red Pike race had returned an overround as high as 132 for five runners.

Musselburgh: staged racing on FridayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"When it was mentioned I made sure I wasn't going overboard, so I was betting to around two per cent per runner, which I'm comfortable with and I think is fair to everyone."

Logan insisted that there was "no collusion, or anything like that" but admitted: "Those overrounds that have been highlighted are simply not good enough. Much as I like to get a profit I would never do that on purpose. It was nice to have nice books for a change, but that's over the mark. I'm there to get a profit, but that's unacceptable.

"The best-backed horse of the day in my book was Economic Crisis. That was my worst loser, and I heard a couple of other bookmakers say the same, and I managed to lose on that race, even though at returned starting prices that race was 124 per cent for six runners. That's how good a bookmaker I am!"

Excessive overrounds are more likely to occur when there is a small crowd or unusually few on-course bookmakers. Chief executive Bill Farnsworth reported a crowd of around 1500, which was "500 down on last year but better than for a lot of jumps fixtures", while a bad weather forecast which proved wide of the mark was almost certainly a factor in there being unusually few bookmakers.

Similarly unacceptable margins at Ffos Las led to pitch-holders receiving a letter last year from the racecourse telling them to play fair with racegoers after the Horseracing Bettors Forum highlighted the situation.

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