Dashel Drasher demotion reversed following appeal hearing

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Connections of Dashel Drasher have won their appeal against the decision of the local stewards to demote him from second place to third in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The gelding, trained by Jeremy Scott, was a 40-1 chance for the contest when ridden by Rex Dingle in the three-mile Grade One in March.

The 10-year-old led into the final flight but drifted left on the approach, with the stewards deeming this movement to have interfered with the challenge mounted by Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo.

The eventual winner, Sire Du Berlais, was three-quarters of a length clear at the line and was not involved, but Teahupoo missed out by just a nose and the stewards considered that margin to be equal to or greater than the ground he had lost due to the alleged interference.

As a result the placings were reversed after an inquiry on the day, with the Rex Dingle-ridden Dashel Drasher demoted to third and Teahupoo instated as the runner-up.

Scott represented himself, with his argument heard by an independent British Horseracing Authority panel comprising of James O’Mahony, Alison Royston and Dr Lyn Griffiths.

Charlotte Davison, representing the BHA, defended the stewards’ decision and called Davy Russell, rider of Teahupoo, to give evidence.

Russell felt that not only was his chance of finishing second scuppered, but also that his horse would have gone on to win the race had the suggested interference not taken place.

“My route has been dictated by the horse on my outside (Dashel Drasher) because I’ve no other option, he’s drifting to the left,” he said.

“I can pull my right rein and collide with him, which is something that is not going to go to my advantage or to Mr Dingle’s advantage.

Dashel Drasher (third from left) in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
Dashel Drasher (third from left) in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Tim Goode/PA)

“I pull across and came up a length and a half from that point in distance, if I had a straight run I feel not only would I have finished in front of him but I would have won the race.”

Scott called Dingle to give his account of the race, with the rider pointing out that Flooring Porter was also drifting left and suggesting that had set in motion Teahupoo’s crooked jump at the last.

He said: “Flooring Porter is intimidating Teahupoo, we were clear in distance from Teahupoo and Mr Russell has not had to stop riding at all.

“From turning in until after the last, he’s had several opportunities to get by me, Dashel Drasher is idling but he is always holding Teahupoo.”

It was Scott’s position that there was no interference at all, which would negate any discussions on the effect of the interference or the relevance of the margin between the two horses when they crossed the line.

Dashel Drasher at Ascot
Dashel Drasher at Ascot (Julian Herbert/PA)

“We have spent nearly three hours discussing a five-second clip of racing in the context of a three-mile race, probably the most competitive staying race of the season in England,” Scott said.

“The notion that there is not going to be a certain amount of wavering going towards the last hurdle, to enable horses to correct themselves, to jump the hurdle safely, is ridiculous.

“This is not a Flat race, this is a jumping race and we put hurdles in the way to make it more interesting and, in my view, more fun.

“If we are going to penalise every horse that makes the slightest of errors or the slightest of movements going into a hurdle, then we may as well remove them.

“If he’d (Teahupoo) jumped that hurdle on a spot-on stride, then I’ve no doubt he would have got away from the hurdle as quickly as we did, but he didn’t because the horse made a mistake.

Brian Acheson (centre) with Teahupoo after winning the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle
Brian Acheson (centre) with Teahupoo after winning the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Brian Lawless/PA)

“The mistake may or may not have been caused by Davy Russell trying to pull his horse further left, but I don’t believe that it was Dashel Drasher that caused that interference.”

The panel retired to consider the evidence and returned to state they agreed with Scott’s submission that there had been no interference and therefore the stewards’ decision was to be overturned.

O’Mahony said: “We take judicial notice of the fact that in approaching hurdles, horses cannot be expected always to run straight. We’ve watched carefully the approach to that last hurdle and, although Teahupoo stayed on, we find he was demonstrably a tiring horse at that stage.

“Mr Russell used the whip three times in his approach to that final hurdle. We find he made more of a move laterally left in order to find a better stride in his approach to the hurdle.

“We conclude there was no interference because Dashel Drasher was clear. We have regard not just to the distance straight ahead but to the distance laterally. With the clearest evidence in our view from the tracker footage, there was daylight in both aspects.”

The decision was not well received by Brian Acheson of Robcour Racing, owners of Teahupoo, who described the panel’s finding as “absolute rubbish” and added: “To the three independent stewards, absolute rubbish. You want to get someone murdered.”

Vadream in the frame for swift return at Newcastle

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Charlie Fellowes’ Vadream could switch back to the all-weather for Finals Day at Newcastle after her impressive Cammidge Trophy triumph at Doncaster on Saturday.

The five-year-old was in action early on in the year, running three times on the all-weather to secure a spot on Friday’s valuable card at Gosforth Park.

The intention was to keep her ticking over ahead of the turf season as she is a horse happier under a greater workload, a ploy that paid off when she was an easy four-and-a-half-length Listed winner on heavy ground on Town Moor.

Vadream is likely to take up a Good Friday entry, with Fellowes more inclined to target the six-furlong BetUK All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes rather than the seven-furlong fillies’ and mares’ race she is also engaged in.

He said: “She has come out of the race really well, she takes her racing very well and is in good form. We have been discussing Good Friday and we are leaning towards going at this point.

Vadream winning the Pertemps Network Cammidge Trophy Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse
Vadream winning the Pertemps Network Cammidge Trophy Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse (Nigel French/PA)

“A decision hasn’t been made but we are leaning towards the six furlongs, she showed such a good turn of foot and I just think a stiff seven at Newcastle might be a bit too much.

“That does mean that we will lose the services of Kieran Shoemark as he’s booked to ride Diligent Harry, but we’ve got Hollie Doyle instead and she rode her absolutely beautifully at Ascot last season.”

Saturday’s victory was attributed partly to the testing ground, but also to some work the Fellowes team have done with the filly around exiting the stalls more sharply.

“She’s been a very frustrating filly to train, she’s always had the talent and ability but she’s also had this knack of just throwing her races away,” the trainer explained.

“She’s been slowly away which you just can’t do over six furlongs, you can’t give away lengths because the race is then over.

“We have tried something different with how we load her into the stalls and how we ride her out of them and it seemed to have worked, Kieran gave her an excellent ride I thought.

“I’d like to see her do it again, I’d like her to back it up with another run like that and then I’ll start to get excited!”

Good Friday will come up quickly after her weekend efforts but Vadream thrives on racing and has produced some of her best runs when in the midst of a busy spell.

Fellowes said: “If anything it is the other way around – the more she runs, the better she is.

“If she’s too fresh she can get incredibly worked up and turn into a real handful, when she’s not left for too long before races she’s much happier and more settled. That’s why we ran her three times on the all weather before Doncaster, though those tracks didn’t always suit her.”

After Newcastle a return to the turf beckons, with targets on both side of the Irish Sea already identified and a step back to five furlongs not out of the question.

Fellowes said: “First we need to see how she goes on Good Friday, then it’s likely she’ll have, not a break as such, but a bit of a gap and then come back out for something like the Duke of York and then perhaps head to Ireland where you’re more likely to get a bit of cut in the ground.

“It might be that in very testing ground she could run over five, which would open up so many options.

“The Flying Five, Haydock Sprint Cup, Prix de l’Abbaye, Champions Day – there are so many races where you know you’re going to get cut in the ground.

“Before any of that though I want to see her do it again and hopefully on Good Friday she’ll produce something like she did at the weekend.”

O’Brien lining up strong Aintree challenge

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Fakir D’oudairies, Banbridge and Home By The Lee are all set to represent Joseph O’Brien at next week’s Grand National meeting at Aintree.

The JP McManus-owned Fakir D’oudairies will head to Merseyside fresh for his bid for a third successive victory in the Grade One Marsh Chase, having sidestepped last month’s Cheltenham Festival.

His stablemate Banbridge also missed the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds after O’Brien took him out of the Turners’ Novices’ Chase due to the rain-softened ground at Prestbury Park.

That freshness could prove key as both are readied for another trip across the Irish Sea.

“Fakir has been good in Aintree the last few years. It looks like it will be a very good race this year, as you’d expect, but he’ll go there with a live chance again,” said O’Brien.

“We’ve learned that Banbridge is at his best on a sounder surface and it was very testing on the day at Cheltenham.

“We also have him entered at Fairyhouse, but I think Aintree is more likely to get better ground.”

Home By The Lee and JJ Slevin after winning at Leopardstown
Home By The Lee and JJ Slevin after winning at Leopardstown (Niall Carson/PA)

Home By The Lee was in action at Cheltenham, lining up with strong claims in the Stayers’ Hurdle after previous wins this season at Navan and Leopardstown.

The eight-year-old passed the post in fifth after a jumping error cost him vital ground and momentum and he could renew rivalries with a few of those who finished ahead of him in the Grade One Liverpool Hurdle on Grand National day.

O’Brien added: “Home By The Lee made a very bad mistake in Cheltenham and was probably lucky not to fall or pull a muscle, but he’s fine after the race and he potentially will go to Aintree.”

Migration campaign hinges on handicap mark

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David Menuisier is awaiting the handicapper’s assessment of Migration’s victory in the Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday before considering plans for the rest of the season.

The burden of top-weight proved no barrier to success for the seven-year-old in the traditional feature on the first day of the British Flat season as he was produced with a withering late run by Benoit De La Sayette to emerge triumphant.

The win came off a mark of 107 and Menuisier will be better placed to scour the programme book for future options once the assessor has had his say on Tuesday.

“He has come out of the race well and all is good,” said the Sussex-based Frenchman.

“We’ll see what the handicapper does, but he is seven and doesn’t need to run 15 times this year.

“It’s all up in the air really. I think there’s a decent chance handicaps will be out, but I can’t completely discard races like the Hunt Cup (at Royal Ascot).”

David Menuisier at Doncaster on Saturday
David Menuisier at Doncaster on Saturday (Nigel French/PA)

While Migration’s Lincoln success came over a mile in testing conditions, he has previously won over a mile and a quarter on good ground at York, suggesting he is not reliant on soft ground.

Menuisier added: “I think he’s quite versatile. I actually thought in the past he was probably better over further than a mile, but obviously that was a career-best at the weekend.

“Maybe the handicapper was on holiday and didn’t see him! It goes without saying handicaps are going to be a long shot now and he might have to go to the next level in a Listed race or a Group Three.”

Lockinge on the radar for Mutasaabeq return

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Newbury’s Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes has been identified as a possible starting point for Mutasaabeq when he returns to the track this term.

Having won his first two starts in the manner of an above-average operator, Charlie Hills’ charge was handed some stiff assignments thereafter during his three-year-old season, including finishing a respectable seventh in the 2000 Guineas.

Winner of a Thirsk conditions event in his first outing at four, he continued to perform with consistency despite failing to add to his tally in his next four starts, before finishing the campaign on a real high when making all to land the Joel Stakes at Newmarket in September.

That took his career record to five wins in 12 starts, with connections deciding to pull stumps for the season and keep their powder dry ahead of a tilt at the May 20 Group One.

“He was really good in the Joel and speaking to Angus (Gold, racing manager for owner Shadwell) and Richard (Hills), the plan was to put him away from there and I think we will look at something like the Lockinge,” said Hills.

“He seems to have wintered really well and his temperament is excellent now, so especially with the dam Ghanaati, her progeny seem to improve with age.”

Jockey Jim Crowley riding Mutasaabeq on their way to winning at Newmarket
Jockey Jim Crowley riding Mutasaabeq on their way to winning at Newmarket (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

The son of Invincible Spirit was tried in first-time blinkers when scooping Group Two honours on the Rowley Mile, but Hills does not believe they are essential ahead of his charge’s return to action.

“He hasn’t got a bad bone in his body and it perhaps helped him concentrate a bit more,” he added.

“He’s run some good races without them as well, so we will see how he is training around the time, speak with Jim (Crowley, jockey) and go from there.”

Annsam enters Sandown reckoning with Ludlow success

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Evan Williams will consider at tilt at the bet365 Gold Cup for Annsam following his comprehensive victory in the Boyne Cup at Ludlow.

The eight-year-old won the lucrative Silver Cup at Ascot last season and opened his account for the current campaign with a dominant front-running success at Kempton in January.

He could finish only seventh when well fancied for the Coral Trophy at the same venue the following month, but bounced back to winning ways in Ludlow’s £18,000 feature.

Having been ridden with a little more restraint than in his recent starts by Adam Wedge, Annsam followed Good Boy Bobby into the home straight before taking over jumping the third fence from home.

The 100-30 chance ran down the final obstacle, but negotiated it safely and was well on top as he passed the post with two and a quarter lengths in hand over The Wolf.

“It was a tricky, competitive race today, but he always shaped like a better horse than the result last time and I’m delighted he’s gone and won,” said Williams.

“He’s still a work in progress to some extent. He can still be a bit awkward and gawky at times.

“I thought it was very important to settle him in behind horses today. I don’t like one dimensional horses and it’s not really my style to be making the running with them.

“I just felt taking our time a bit more with him today will really help him going forwards.”

Trainer Evan Williams at Cheltenham
Trainer Evan Williams at Cheltenham (Simon Marper/PA)

The Welsh trainer will now target his charge at the final day of the season at Sandown on April 29, with the bet365 Gold Cup and the Grade Two Oaksey Chase considered feasible options.

“I’m going to be silly and put him in the two-mile-six race (Oaksey) and the bet365 over three-mile-five, but I think he’ll stay and I’d have no hesitation running him over that trip. It gives us options and he will be aimed at Sandown anyway.

“I know he only won by a couple of lengths today, but I thought he was by far the best horse in the race and he still look like there’s more in the tank.”

Trainer Alastair Ralph, conditional jockey Jay Tidball and owner-breeder Norma Harris enjoyed a memorable afternoon, teaming up to complete a double on the card.

Magical Maggie justified 5-4 favouritism in the JM Construction Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle before 10-1 shot Scherbobalob secured top honours in the Watch On RacingTV Handicap Hurdle.

Pam Sly targeting Dahlia Stakes with Astral Beau

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Newmarket’s Dahlia Stakes could await for Pam Sly’s homebred Doncaster Mile winner Astral Beau.

The four-year-old had won four times last season but was still trailing the colts and geldings on ratings as her mark of 86 left her 18lb behind her nearest-ranked rival.

That divide in estimation did not replicate itself on the track, where Astral Beau made light work of the heavy ground to come home four lengths ahead of Michael Dods’ Brunch with the rest well spaced out behind her.

A step up to Group Two level is now under consideration for the daughter of Brazen Beau, with Sly pencilling her in for the Dahlia Stakes over a mile and a furlong at the Newmarket Guineas meeting.

The trainer said: “I’m thinking of the Dahlia at Newmarket on May 7, we might have a go at that over nine furlongs because I think she’ll stay.

Astral Beau winning at Doncaster
Astral Beau winning at Doncaster (Nigel French/PA)

“She didn’t pull up until she got to Rose Hill the other day! It will be interesting to see what handicap mark she gets.

“When she gets to the last 100 yards, she starts to go away from them then. She’s done that in her other races, she gets there and you don’t know if she’s going to win and then all of a sudden she’s gone away again. It’s a lot of fun.”

Soft ground will be essential to the filly’s participation throughout the season, with Sly striking early in the term and expecting to let her homebred sit out the summer months when the going is at its quickest.

“She does need a bit of give in the ground, everything revolves around that I think,” she said.

“I knew she was behind the boys, but it will be interesting to see where she goes as long as it keeps raining!

Astral Beau at Newmarket last season
Astral Beau at Newmarket last season (John Walton/PA)

“That’s why I’ve had them ready early, all of mine like the dig in the ground so I had her ready to go early and she’ll have to go on a holiday in the summer.”

The filly is from the family of Sly’s 1000 Guineas winner Speciosa, who triumphed in the Classic in 2006 and then produced a Sea The Stars mare called Asteroidea – the dam of Astral Beau.

The bloodline is one Sly continues to cultivate as Eileendover, a Listed bumper winner by Canford Cliffs, is also a granddaughter of Speciosa as she is out of the mare Specialty – dam of three runners who have all won races.

Of Astral Beau, Sly said: “She’s from the Speciosa line, from Speciosa’s second daughter – the Sea The Stars mare Asteroidea. The first daughter, the Oasis Dream one (Specialty), she’s bred a Listed winner as well in Eileendover and now the second daughter has also bred a Listed winner.

“We’ve got a Teofilo mare as well, Vernatti, she hasn’t had a runner yet but she’s got one to go this time, a three-year-old.

Speciosa winning the 1000 Guineas
Speciosa winning the 1000 Guineas (Chris Radburn/PA)

“If you’re a bit nerdy, it’s very much a fillies’ family. If you look back through Speciosa, there’s (three-time Group One winner) Pride through that line, there’s just a load of good fillies.”

The family also produced ex-James Ferguson runner Mise En Scene, sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and out of Specifically, a sister to Speciosa.

Sly said: “There was a filly who ran in America in November time who finished sixth and she was out of Gadfly, who is a sister to Speciosa.

“It’s very much a fillies’ family and I find that quite interesting.”

Kinross to give Dettori one final swing at July Cup glory

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Newmarket’s July Cup has been highlighted as the main summer target for Kinross, where he will be tasked with providing Frankie Dettori with victory in the only British Group One to elude him during his distinguished career.

The Ralph Beckett-trained six-year-old thrived in the second half of the 2022 season, embarking on a four-race winning streak in the hands of the Italian – which included victories in the Prix de la Foret and British Champions Sprint – before the run came to an end with a brave third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Kinross has started off in Haydock’s John Of Gaunt Stakes for the past two campaigns, but connections have decided to delay his return until Royal Ascot this time around, before moving on to Newmarket’s July Course in a bid to land a signature blow during Dettori’s season-long swansong.

“Kinross has wintered really well,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for the owner, Marc Chan.

“He has come out of a hard end-of-season campaign in great form and we will be concentrating on a latter-half of the year campaign with him again.

“He will start off at Royal Ascot and I think both the trainer and jockey are keen to try to win the July Cup. That is the one Group One race I think that Frankie hasn’t won in England.

“That is the major target for now and then after that, do we try to stretch him out to a mile?”

He went on: “He can’t run in the Jacques Le Marois because geldings can’t run in that race, while we know he loves Goodwood. If the ground was to his liking at Goodwood, I could easily see him running in the Sussex Stakes. But for now he isn’t going to run until Ascot.”

It will be top-table assignments only for Kinross this season, with his 2023 journey set to conclude at Sha Tin on December 10, where the son of Kingman will be aimed at representing his locally-based owner in the Hong Kong Mile.

“He’s now a six-year-old and Marc quite rightly thinks we should only run in Group One races and not waste our bullets,” continued McCalmont.

QIPCO British Champions Day – Ascot Racecourse
Kinross and jockey Frankie Dettori after winning the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“I think Hong Kong is more than likely and that is kind of really why we are starting off later in the season.

“With Marc living in Hong Kong, he naturally would love to have a horse run on Longines Day and Hong Kong is very much in our plans. It would definitely be the mile race, there’s no doubt about that, but it a long way away from now.”

Brisland plotting Royal Ascot route for Doddie’s Impact

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Robyn Brisland may consider a trip to France with his Brocklesby hero Doddie’s Impact ahead of a planned appearance at Royal Ascot.

The Pearl Secret colt, who was bought for just £6,000 in October, displayed a willing attitude to win the first two-year-old race of the season at Doncaster on Saturday – knuckling down to get the better of 3-1 favourite and €250,000 purchase Valadero.

Brisland is keen to step his charge up in trip on his next start as he plots a route to a possible tilt to the Royal meeting in June.

“He’s come out of it well, he’s very tough – he could almost go again today,” said the trainer.

“We were hopeful going into the race, but you can never be a certainty with a load of two-year-olds running in a straight line.

“We’ve got to be looking that way (Royal Ascot) and in the meantime I’d like to step him up to six furlongs. I haven’t got anything in mind at the minute, but we might end up going abroad if there’s a race for him.

“The prize-money is always good if you go abroad, so we might look at going to France.”

While his Royal Ascot target will likely depend on how he fares on his next start, Brisland currently views the Coventry Stakes as the most suitable target.

He added: “I don’t think the Windsor Castle would be any good for him as they’d go too quick, so I think it would have to be the Coventry, but I’m sure there’ll be a few aeroplanes out before then!”

Weld not rushing to make Tahiyra Classic call

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Dermot Weld is in no rush to commit ante-post favourite Tahiyra to the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, with the Irish and French versions also under consideration.

A brilliant winner of the Moyglare Stud Stakes from subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Meditate, she has led the betting for the Newmarket Classic for some time.

However, Weld has offered no assurances the Aga Khan-owned filly will turn up at Newmarket and will only be swayed by the well-being of the half-sister to Tarnawa.

“I’m very satisfied with her, she’s wintered well. We had a very dry February and then a very wet March, so I’ve taken my time with her but I’m satisfied,” he told Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast.

“We’ve made no decision yet where she may start off. It may be the Irish Guineas, the French Guineas or the English Guineas but no decision will be made until later in the month, it depends on how she’s working.

“Some fillies come early in the season, some fillies take a little longer. It’s not a question of which Guineas (suits best), she’ll tell me when she’s ready.

“Horses grow their coat in the winter and in the spring they shed it. If you get a nice, mild spring obviously it happens quicker, but if you get a wet spring and cold weather, obviously they hold on to their coats a little longer and with fillies their performance is affected, it’s nature.

“I think she could well go 10 furlongs (later in the season). Tarnawa got a mile and a half – she won the Vermeille, the Breeders’ Cup (Turf) – but I’d say this filly has more pace, so we’d be happy over a mile at the moment.”