wageringterms.

Definition

Photo Finish

Also known as Photo, Photograph, Objection

By Reviewed Editorial policy

In short

A photo finish is when the judge cannot separate runners by eye and consults a finish-line photograph. If the image still cannot separate them, the result is a dead heat.

When two runners cross the line together, the judge calls a photo and the result is determined from a finish-line image before bets are settled.

How the image works

Modern finish-line cameras do not take a conventional photograph. They use a slit camera, recording a narrow vertical strip at the finish line continuously, thousands of times per second, and assembling the result into a composite image.

This is why photo-finish images look distorted, with stretched or compressed horses. The horizontal axis is time, not space. A horse moving slowly appears elongated; one moving quickly appears compressed.

The winner is decided by which nose crosses the plane of the line first, which is why a horse can lose from in front if its head is down at the wrong moment.

Settlement

Bets are not settled until the result is confirmed. Three things can delay it:

  • Photo: the judge examines the image
  • Stewards’ enquiry: an investigation into interference during the race
  • Objection: a formal complaint, usually by a jockey

The result stands only once the race is declared weighed in. Placings can change after an enquiry, and bets are settled on the amended result. This is why bookmakers do not pay out until weighed-in is announced, however obvious the result looked.

When the photo cannot separate them

If the image shows the runners exactly level, the result is a dead heat. Both are declared joint winners, and payouts are divided: your stake is halved, settled at full odds, and the other half lost.

Genuine dead heats for the win are rare in the era of high-speed cameras, but dead heats for a place, particularly third or fourth in a large field. Remain common enough to matter for each-way bettors.

Common questions

How does a photo finish camera work?

It is a slit camera recording a narrow strip at the finish line thousands of times a second, assembled into a composite. The horizontal axis is time rather than space, which is why the images look stretched or compressed.

When is my bet settled after a photo?

Not until the result is declared weighed in. A photo, a stewards' enquiry or an objection can all delay it, and placings can change afterwards. Bookmakers pay out on the amended result, however obvious the finish looked.

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