Change of luck for Burke raider after surviving inquiry

Unfortunately started the outsider of four British-trained runners in Sunday's Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte, having borne his name with a certain amount of justification on his two most recent starts.

But the Karl Burke-trained colt appeared to benefit from both the rail draw and the application of a visor to run down Frozen Angel, with Queen Mary heroine Heartache a short head further back in third.

Stewards called an inquiry after Pierre-Charles Boudot was forced to snatch up High Dream Milena as Tony Piccone launched his challenge aboard Unfortunately.

Placings were left unaltered, stewards presumably satisfied the interference had not cost High Dream Milena a place, although Piccone was given a two-day suspension.

Unfortunate no more

Two starts ago Unfortunately narrowly failed to get up here having been checked at the start, while at Pontefract last time he'd hung when looking to have the race won.

Co-owner Jeff Laughton said: "He was unlucky last time he was here and unlucky last time back in Britain. I thought we were going to be unlucky again [with the stewards’ inquiry] so you should be careful what you name a horse!

"He worked in a visor on Wednesday and absolutely flew, so we knew we were bringing a horse that was going to improve."

He added: "The next step would may be the Prix Morny, or there's the Richmond at Goodwood in two weeks."

Tom Dascombe was pleased with Frozen Angel, who had previously finished fourth in the Norfolk.

"He's run a cracker," said the trainer, whose colt was beaten half a length. "We thought it was a winnable race and we weren’t too far wrong.

"He might run in the Molecomb but this was the plan, so we’ll get him home and worry about that next."

Clive Cox, trainer of third-placed Heartache, who was sent off 4-6 favourite, was surprised but not seeking excuses for his filly, who was accompanied by more than 30 members of the Hot To Trot syndicate.

He said: "I thought she was poised to go and pick them up and she just didn’t find what we were all hoping. I'm a little bit bewildered and I think 24 hours might tell us a bit more."

Dream Team may appeal

The once-raced High Dream Milena lacked the experience of the visitors but, after appearing green through the first half of the contest, was beginning to motor when the interference occurred.

"Pierre-Charles said she was coming to win her race when he got completely stopped," said trainer Criquette Head-Maarek.

"She ran in snatches a little because she's inexperienced. I don't know if she'd have won but, without the interference, she'd have been a lot closer."

High Dream Milena's owners are understood to be considering an appeal against the stewards' decision.

Almost nothing between Morrison stayers

Later on the card Hughie Morrison saddled a one-two in the Listed Prix du Carrousel, Fun Mac and Olivier Peslier holding the desperate late charge of stablemate Vent De Force by a nose.

"I would love to have seen them dead heat," reflected the trainer.

COMMENT

An unnecessary layer of interpretation to a straightforward case?

A race in France with three British-trained horses fighting out the finish and a ten minute-plus stewards’ inquiry was tailor-made for thoughts on the rights and wrongs of the rules in two neighbouring jurisdictions where a different tack is often taken with such incidents.

In the context of the French code, the only question that should need to be satisfactorily answered is whether fourth-placed High Dream Milena was denied the realistic chance of being third or better.

With the incident taking place around a furlong out and the gap between Heartache in third and High Dream Milena only half a length, it was perhaps surprising the inquiry did not find in the French filly’s favour, with the stewards even going so far as to note their interpretation that she "lacked the resources to make progress" at the time of the interference.

The fact that the same incident in Britain would almost certainly have seen the result unchanged is neither here nor there.

One of the strengths of the French rulebook is that it places far less burden on stewards to peer into an alternative future, as they have only to determine if an interfered-with horse could have done better than its finishing position, rather than win the race.

The stewards at Maisons-Laffitte believed High Dream Milena was booked for no better than fourth. It would be no surprise if her connections appealed against that belief.

Scott Burton

Result and analysis