19 September 2019
Photo scoopdyga.com
The appeal concerning the standing result of the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp was heard today at France Galop headquarters by three France Galop senior stewards.
Rupert Pritchard-Gordon was representing Robert Ng, the plaintiff, owner of Romanised, who finished second in the race. The trainer Ken Condon and the rider William James Lee also attended.
As for the winner Circus Maximus’s connections, they were represented by the solicitor of the owners, the Flaxman/Tabor/Smith/Magnier partnership, Flaxman’s racing manager Alan Cooper, agent Hervé Naggar, the trainer Aidan O’Brien and his assistant for translation, and the rider Ryan Moore.
Both parties were given access before the session to the video materials required and the details of the whole case.
The appeal was heard in a fair play atmosphere.
However, France Galop’s stewards, after showing all the views of the incident and hearing both parties make their point in details, having considered the way both horses had progressed, their behaviour in the latter stages of the race, compared their movements and interactions, and the consequences thereof, decided that the result should be allowed to stand, since there was not sufficient evidence that Romanised would have beaten Circus Maximus if there had been no interference at all.
Click here to download the official report in French.