A significant identification error occurred at a Western Australian race meeting when Urquhart’s Bluff, a four-year-old horse, was mistakenly saddled and raced under the name of his stablemate El Alamein, a three-year-old, in a race restricted to horses yet to win and of a certain age. The mix-up was only discovered after the race had concluded and official results were posted, leading to incorrect payouts by betting agencies. Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) attributed the incident to human error, confirming that the misidentification was unintentional and that no suspicious betting activity was detected. Urquhart’s Bluff was subsequently disqualified, and the race placings were amended, but the official betting results stood, leaving some bettors at a loss.

The incident highlights the importance of strict identity verification measures such as microchipping, which are routinely used to prevent such errors. Despite these safeguards, the horse was allowed to start in the wrong race, underscoring a procedural failure. RWWA emphasized that while they operate the wagering system, race integrity decisions are made independently by stewards, who declared the correct weight at the time. This event echoes past Australian racing scandals involving horse substitutions, notably the infamous 1984 Fine Cotton ring-in, reminding the industry of the ongoing challenges in maintaining race integrity.