Amo Racing Lose Norfolk Appeal

Amo Racing's appeal against the victory of The Ridler (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) in the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot has been dismissed, despite the fact that Paul Hanagan's ride aboard the winner was described by the disciplinary panel as being “poor, reprehensible and self-evidently culpable”.

The Ridler, trained by Richard Fahey, caused interference to Crispy Cat (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) and Brave Nation (Ire) (Sioux Nation), who finished third and fourth in that order for owners Amo Racing and Brian Goodyear, respectively. Amo Racing's Walbank (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) ran second and was unimpeded by the winner's erratic passage.

The stewards on the day suspended Hanagan for 10 days for careless riding in the Norfolk, however, the appeals panel rejected the case presented to them by Amo's Kia Joorabchian.

Amo argued that The Ridler should be disqualified or demoted for causing interference to the placed horses.

The written reasons that accompanied the decision said, “Mr. Hanagan's riding performance in the race was poor, reprehensible and self-evidently culpable.

“His inattention and misjudgement were not defensible. He is a jockey of huge experience [with approaching 17,000 rides and 2,200 winners behind him] and should have done much better.

“It was a bad, high-level instance of careless riding and he entirely deserved a suspension of real substance.

“An essential point to emphasise, however, is that at the end of the day we do conclude that what happened did properly fall into the category of careless riding; and not just simply because, under the regulations in this country, it is probable that no other categorisation is in fact possible.

“In the panel's view the prospect of Crispy Cat having won, absent the interference, was slim in all the circumstances to which we have referred.

“That said, we have in any event in the course of explaining our rationale expressed our view as to the ease with which The Ridler won the race.”