has a horse race been won with a none runner?

Answer 1

A non-runner cannot win a race because it is a horse that does not come under Starters Orders.

A horse is a non-runner if it is withdrawn sometime between the declaration stage (usually 24 or 48 hours before a race) and before coming under starters orders. If a horse starts a race it cannot be a non-runner, it must finish the race or be pulled up, fall, unseat the jockey, etc.

Answer 2

There is an apocryphal tale of a race won by a non-runner back in the dawn of American horse racing.

Back in those days, before the advent of organized race meets and rules of racing and stewards and all that good stuff, it was basically a couple of people staking their horses against each other, winner take all. People who had a good racehorse, a "crack" as a good racer was known, would take the horse from place to place, staking their horse against the local champ. Local champs would advertise they would stake their horse against all comers. Sometimes the side bets won in these races would be more than the value of the purse, and everybody bet. They'd bet on the outcome of the race, the distance the winner beat the rest by, the time of the race, and so forth.

Sometimes to limit the number of runner that could take part in a race, limiting conditions would be established-- e.g., race for 5-year-olds and upwards, and so forth.

Well, one group of locals got crafty. They had a local champ that was not a tall horse, and so they cunningly set the conditions of the race as for horses 15 hands two inches or less in height, or forfeit-- in other words, anyone who challenged them, whose horse failed to measure 15 hands two inches or less, forfeited his stake.

Day came for the race, and one well-known promoter came driving up to the race grounds in his buggy, pulled by a dowdy little dusty, nondescript horse, with his fancied racer, all shiny and in magnificent fettle, tied to the back of the buggy and trotting along behind.

The locals got out their measuring stick, and determined that the challenger was closer to 16 hands than to 15.2. They demanded that the owner forfeit the stakes. The owner refused, and had his racer's shoes pulled off, and demanded a remeasure. Still too tall. He called for a local farrier to come and pare the horse's hooves down. This was done, but the horse was still a hair too tall. Pare some more, he told the farrier.

The farrier pared but this time he was at the quick [the sensitive part of the hoof]. The horse was now short enough to race, but was dead lame. The locals were mad with joy, and demanded that the challenger forfeit his stake.

The challenger acted stumped, then said that he wanted to at least not forfeit without a try. Could he substitute the horse that had pulled his buggy for the now-lame racer?

The locals accepted the challenge, and the challenger unharnessed his dusty little little horse from the buggy. The racing bridle and saddle were put on the little horse, and the bets started to be laid. The local champ was heavily bet to beat the little buggy-horse in a canter.

Well, they lined up at the start and were off, and a few minutes later when the dust settled, all were astounded to see that it was the dusty little buggy-puller who won by a canter.

The sharpy who had brought the horse had rung one over on the locals, who hadn't known that his crack racer was not a big, tall horse. He collected his stakes and his winning bets-- all won by his "non-runner."

Answer 3

Do you mean 'by' a no runner?
There have been many races won with no runners taking part. The no runners just didn't do very well.

Answer 4

paddy at the races stares at the empty horsebox and asks the driver "wheres the horses"? murphy replies "ive only brought the non runners ?

Answer 5

if its a NON runner before the race starts how could it possibly win the race??????

Answer 6

how could it ? but 1 single entry can win a race its called a walkover

Answer 7

i always thought it if I had a racehorse I would call it nonrunner. I would cause loads of confusion, especially with old people

Answer 8

Do you mean non starter? or if the jockey falls off no

Answer 9

no