Haskoy connections out of luck in appeal against Leger demotion

Panel rules ‘considerable interference just before and just after the two-furlong marker’ was crucial.

Connections of Haskoy have lost their appeal against the demotion of the filly from second to fourth place in this year’s Cazoo St Leger at Doncaster.

The raceday stewards deemed Haskoy’s rider Frankie Dettori to have caused interference to the Neil Callan-ridden Giavellotto that was sufficient enough to place her behind Marco Botti’s colt who was promoted to third.

At the appeal hearing on Tuesday two incidents were looked at in minute detail by the independent disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority and the relevant legal teams.

The first occurred between the three- and two-furlong poles, with the Ralph Beckett-trained, Juddmonte-owned Haskoy – who finished two lengths behind winner Eldar Eldarov – drifting towards the rail, causing Callan to stop riding briefly and switch to Dettori’s outside.

By the time Callan had got Giavellotto back on an even keel and was closing on Haskoy once more, the filly again drifted to her left, causing a second bout of interference, though not as substantial as the first.

Callan said: “About two and a half out I started to make my move and I noticed Mr Dettori have a glance over his shoulder so I gave him a shout to tell him I was there. I got carried left and ran out of room.

“I lost momentum and had to pick my horse back up after further interference on my outside and then Mr Dettori drifted back out so I went for the rail again, but half a furlong from home Mr Dettori switched his whip and his filly leaned in on me again which cost me more ground.”

Roderick Moore, acting on behalf of Haskoy’s connections, put it to Callan that he was already riding a hard finish three furlongs out, to which the jockey disagreed, suggesting he was merely winding his mount up before asking for a full effort and he dismissed an accusation from Moore that he never stopped riding at any stage.

“It’s not like on a PlayStation,” said Callan. “You can’t just press a reverse button. It’s happening in real time at 40mph, I had to switch back and the side angle clearly shows that.”

Dettori was then questioned briefly by both sides and while it was pointed out to him that he did not use his whip in the closing stages because he had already used it to its limit, he admitted to not knowing that at the time and that he had accepted that the best he could finish was second.

Giavellotto (noseband) was hampered more than once by Haskoy (pink hat)
Giavellotto (noseband) was hampered more than once by Haskoy (pink hat) (Tim Goode/PA)

“I would say that up to half a furlong from home I was giving it 100 per cent and then when the winner passed me half a furlong out and I knew I had the others beat, I was riding at 80 per cent,” said Dettori.

“I can’t judge Mr Callan’s ride, only my own, but I would disagree that Giavellotto passed me after the line so that means he would otherwise have beaten me. I took the revs off inside the last half furlong because I couldn’t win.”

Dettori was given a five-day suspension for the incident which he has subsequently served.

Lengthy closing statements were heard from all sides before panel chair Timothy Charlton QC returned to give the result.

He said: “There was considerable interference just before and just after the two-furlong marker which cost Giavellotto a lot of distance and momentum.

“Without that he would have had a traffic-free run to the line and would have begun a serious challenge at that point. Instead, Mr Callan had to take back sharply to avoid clipping heels which took him into more trouble with Danny Tudhope’s mount (French Claim) which compounded the loss of balance and momentum suffered from when Haskoy crossed in front of him.

“When Giavellotto returned to the rail he again suffered interference when Haskoy squeezed him up.

“The panel fully recognises the peril of an arithmetical approach to these sort of cases, especially when the interference is so far out, but despite those uncertainties the panel was persuaded that Haskoy’s interference prevented Giavellotto from finishing ahead of Haskoy.”

He did, though, add: “It is the panel’s view the deposit should be returned (to the connections of Haskoy) as perfectly respectable arguments were put to us.”

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