Ringsend Rose survives inquiry in dramatic race

THERE was high drama at Chepstow on Saturday when the winner of the 3m novice chase, Ringsend Rose, had to survive a stewards' inquiry for taking the wrong course despite being the only horse left in the race.

Owned and trained by Jeff Sadik, Ringsend Rose was a distant third of the three remaining runners in theEBF/TBA Free Racing Post Form At Totesport.com Mares' Novices' Chase as leader Orana Conti approached the third-last fence.

She fell heavily, however, and lay stricken on the landing side of the fence before second-placed Moulin De La Croix ploughed through the fence and unseated jockey Sam Twiston-Davies.

That left Ringsend Rose as the only remaining horse in the race, but as she and jockey Jimmy Derham approached the fence racecourse vet Sybil Soulsby ran on to thecourse to attend to Orana Conti.  Derham was waved around the obstacle by fence attendant Calvin Yates and the 28-1 chance also bypassed the second-last fence before jumping the last and completing the course in her own time.

Derham said: "I was coming into the fence and someone with the green screens waved me around. What was I supposed to do, jump into a stricken horse? So I did what was asked and then went about the rest of the race."

The stewards called an inquiry immediately after the seven-year-old crossed the line but decided against taking any action due to the exceptional circumstances.

Stewards' secretary Simon Cowley said: "We enquired into the possibility that the winner Ringsend Rose took the wrong course.

"We asked Jimmy Derham why he had missed out what was the second-last fence [to be jumped] and were satisfied that exceptional circumstances applied in this case - namely that a stricken horse and jockey were on the landing side of the fence.

"The rule covering this type of incident allows the stewards to let the result stand if the rider's reasons for taking the wrong course were satisfactory and all the remaining riders in the race took the same course. After hearing his evidence we allowed the result to remain unaltered."

Sadik was pleased that the result stood and said: "I am glad that the stewards have seen common sense as I would have appealed if we had not been allowed to keep the race.

"The jockey had to follow instructions from the people at the fence as he could not stop and ask ‘Who are you?'. You cannot do that in a race."

Orana Conti was treated by vets for two hours after the race but was put down as a result of her injuries.