Amo Racing unsuccessful in appeal against Norfolk Stakes verdict

The Ridler has retained his controversial victory in the Norfolk Stakes after an independent panel dismissed an appeal lodged by Amo Racing.

The Richard Fahey-trained colt drifted markedly in the closing stages of the race, hampering the third Crispy Cat and fourth-placed Brave Nation.

Rider Paul Hanagan was handed a 10-day suspension for careless riding after the event but the placings were not altered, a decision then appealed by Amo Racing, owners of Crispy Cat and the runner-up Walbank, who was not impeded.

The panel of Bruce Blair QC, Alison Royston and Tim Etherington heard evidence from all concerned parties as the matter was discussed for six hours last Wednesday.

No verdict was reached on the day, but the panel have since decided to reject the appeal, which largely hinged on the suggestion that Hanagan had met the criteria for dangerous riding, rather than careless, which would have necessitated the disqualification of The Ridler.

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.”