‘I feel like it’s been stolen from us’ - trainer intends to appeal against stewards’ decision to reverse Wolverhampton result

Trainer Jessica Bedi intends to appeal against the stewards’ decision to reverse the placings in the 1m1½f handicap at Wolverhampton on Tuesday evening.

Bedi’s Prince Hector, the mount of Paula Muir, passed the post a nose in front of the David Dennis-trained High Court Judge following a protracted battle up the home straight.

However, the stewards deemed Prince Hector had drifted off a straight line, inconveniencing the Rob Hornby-ridden runner-up, and issued a revised result.

Bedi, who was successful with Pateen at Cartmel last week, said: “Prince Hector loves it around Wolverhampton so to bring him back here and have a race taken from us – for not really much of a reason – is a bit devastating.

“Paula did absolutely everything in her powers to keep him straight and had her whip in the correct hand. We intend to appeal against the decision – for the sake of Paula, the horse and the owners involved – and I feel like it’s been stolen from us. He drifted slightly but the other horse was drifting as well, so we’ll see.”

Paula Muir: rode first-past-the-post Prince HectorCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Simon Mapletoft, who was presenting on course for Sky Sports Racing, said there was a general feeling of surprise about the decision on track and spoke to Louise Moore, the BHA’s chief steward at the meeting, about the decision.

Moore said on Sky Sports Racing: “From about a furlong out there was a steady carry – albeit very steady – from the winner to the second and a nose was the margin at the line.

“We took a bit of time to deliberate over this, and while initially Mr Hornby’s horse went right of its own accord, Miss Muir’s horse inside the final furlong just kept inching across and intimidating Mr Hornby’s horse.

“There was no contact but we do take intimidation into account when considering a result. We had to consider that if the second horse had an uninterrupted run to the line, could it have finished in front of the winner? We felt his run had been interrupted; he was carried several horses’ widths off his intended line for a considerable length of time.”

Asked if Muir had done much wrong, Moore said: “No but she got herself into a sustained battle and she had to keep her horse straight. 

“She accepted there was a bit of a drift, and said she had her whip in the correct hand, but if you feel yourself coming off a correct line, we would like to see you put your whip down, pull on that left rein to get your horse straight again, and that would have enabled Mr Hornby’s horse to straighten up, and in our opinion, without that carry, he would have finished in front of Miss Muir.”

Muir was suspended for two days for careless riding and will be on the sidelines on June 23 and 24.

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