'Farcical' French Guineas demotion set for appeal

An appeal is set to be launched after British runner Shes Perfect was demoted to second having finished first past the post in the French 1000 Guineas.

Jockey Kieran Shoemark finished a nose in front of favourite Zarigana in the Classic at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

But French officials ruled the filly, trained by Charlie Fellowes in Newmarket, was guilty of interference.

Basher Watts, whose racing syndicate own the horse, called the decision "farcical" and questioned the ride on the promoted winner.

"The only interference that they have deemed worthy against Shes Perfect was just before the furlong marker, we drift to our left and that right there is the only thing she's done wrong," he said.

"We are appealing. Of course we're appealing. In my opinion it's a farcical decision. When they showed me what it was for, it was laughable."

It would have been a first top-level Group One winner for Fellowes and a lift for Shoemark, who lost the job as number one rider for trainers John and Thady Gosden after finishing second eight days earlier on Field Of Gold in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Watts initially celebrated enthusiastically with syndicate members.

But Mickael Barzalona, rider of Zarigana - owned by the Aga Khan's family - lodged an objection after the race and following an inquiry the result was amended.

Barzalona appeared to drop his whip in the final furlong after using it twice, before using his right hand down his mount's neck on multiple occasions to encourage Zarigana in the closing stages.

France Galop's rules limit use of the whip more than four times and if a jockey strikes a horse nine times or more, it would trigger disqualification.

Watts said: "Any jockey exceeding nine strikes would receive instant disqualification. Zarigana was struck two times with the whip and 12 times by hand...14 strikes."

Samuel Fargeat, spokesman for French governing body France Galop, said the stewards had assessed two incidents, the first involving Shes Perfect, fourth-placed Exactly and Zarigana, who all appeared to get close, before the last two fillies also came together towards the line.

The stewards decided the first incident had impacted the result but the second had not, and Zarigana's trainer Francis-Henri Graffard felt his filly had been "unbalanced at the wrong time".

Graffard said Barzalona had given the horse "a great ride" and added: "The inquiry minutes felt long and stressful. We don't like winning races this way, and I feel sorry for the Shes Perfect team. But this is racing."