Team tactics argument rages at Ascot - but brilliant Ombudsman leaves no room for debate

Smiling on the sport's most coveted victory podium with a trophy in his hand was a man well versed in deploying team tactics, sometimes successfully, on occasions questionably. England's former football manager Sir Gareth Southgate was at Royal Ascot to present a prize to Aidan O'Brien, who not for the first time has also found himself embroiled in a spot of team tactics commotion.

On royal meeting mornings the chitter-chatter is generally focused on the upcoming action. There was much of that again – unsurprisingly so given the quality of the day's main event – but plenty of the pre-racing talk centred on the stewards' Tuesday evening decision to suspend Christophe Soumillon for eight days following his navigation choices in the St James's Palace Stakes.

For the most part, opinion seemed to be that the penalty dished out to Soumillon was merited. Ruby Walsh, Willie Carson, John Reid and former Channel 4 pundit Jim McGrath were among those who argued the stewards had made the right call. Based on optics alone it would be hard to make an alternative case, given that Soumillon looked across his right shoulder when leading around the final bend and then moved off the fence when turning in, thereby opening up a golden highway for Ryan Moore on Gstaad.