'You can't stop them to that degree, can you?' - controversy as stewards reverse result of October Handicap

The €45,000 Bahrain Turf Club October Handicap was wreathed in controversy as the stewards threw out Navy Waters after she had passed the winning post more than three lengths in front of Blake, who was awarded the race.

The interference, which was severe, occurred inside the final furlong when Navy Waters and Nathan Crosse kept drifting violently to the right and forced Chris Hayes on Blake to snatch up his mount.

The winning distance was officially three and a quarter lengths and Navy Waters was mostly around 1-3 on Betfair to keep the race during the inquiry, but the stewards felt the runner-up would have won without suffering the interference.

The stewards' report read: "Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the raceday stewards were of the opinion that Navy Waters had caused interference to Blake and as a result of this interference had improved its finishing position."

Racing Post+ subscribers can watch a replay of the race here

Winning trainer Noel Meade, who was on the other side of a similar call in the Galway Hurdle, when Helvic Dream was demoted to second, felt the stewards had no other option.

Meade said: "To be honest, they nearly had to give it to him [Blake]. You can't stop them to that degree, can you? They absolutely stopped him and he's a big, long-striding horse. If you're riding a bike and you're stopped, it's very hard to get going again that quickly."

On future plans for Blake, he said: "It's a nice pot to win and he'll run in the maiden hurdle at Down Royal on Saturday week. That's the plan. He jumps great and we're looking forward to him heading over hurdles."

Super Shaool

There aren't too many horses around who are improving at the rate of knots that Shaool is.

She was rated 85 last month but took the Listed Trigo Stakes in stunning fashion by six lengths for Johnny Murtagh and Ben Coen.

Murtagh said of the 6-4 favourite: "I’d love to know where this improvement has come from. Ben says the ground is key to her. She had been training really well – all the horses are going well.

"I’m delighted. They're a great bunch of people who own her. Vince O’Driscoll is after travelling over from America and the pressure is always on when he travels!

"I don’t think there is anything left for her, she’s been busy. I thought today would tell us if she’d come back next year. She’s a remarkable filly. She’s tough and hardy and works well every day. It was a brilliant performance."

Shaool gets a pat from Ben Coen as she returns following victory in the Trigo Stakes Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Havoc destroys them

The deep ground also brought out the best in Norwalk Havoc, who was an emphatic winner of the Bahrain Turf Club Knockaire Stakes at odds of 5-1.

Winning trainer Jessica Harrington said: "That was great. It’s the first time all year he’s got his ground. Seamie [Heffernan] said he just keeps on finding in that [ground] and the further he goes the better he goes. I think there might be a race in Rome for him. He wants soft ground and he just loves it."

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