27th September 2013

I've just got back from London where our appeal was heard this morning against the reversal of placings when Centoria won her bumper at Fontwell earlier this month.  Unfortunately we lost the appeal, and so the placings remained reversed.  I got the impression that it was a very close call, but they decided to back the local stewards - if the local stewards had left us the winner and Hazel Brook's connections had appealed, I think that the BHA would have left the result alone….very difficult one…  However, as Point C in the guiding principles states if the stewards cannot decide if the sufferer WOULD have won, then “the benefit of the doubt should always go to the horse which finished in front.”  i.e. Surely Centoria should have kept the race.  Anyway, the mare didn't get the race, and so fingers crossed she can rectify it on her next start, as for all intents and purposes she is a winner without a penalty.....