The connections of Secret Gesture (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) have confirmed they are seriously considering appealing the decision to demote the mare to third place after she crossed the line first in the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington Saturday evening.
Trainer Ralph Beckett's 5-year-old looked to have landed her first top-level success under Jamie Spencer when she crossed the line with over a length to spare from Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy). However, she drifted marginally right close to the line, forcing Irad Ortiz to stop riding which allowed Watsdachances (Ire) (Diamond Green {Fr}) to snatch second on the line, and ultimately benefit from the decision of the local stewards.
“It was no surprise, but I'm glad we're having the conversation now and not last night when I was throwing things out of the window,” David Redvers, racing manager for Secret Gesture's owner, Qatar Racing Ltd, told At The Races. “If you ran the race another 10 times, Secret Gesture would win every time. She was given an inspired ride by Jamie and is seems desperately unfair and unjust so we're looking at appealing, but they run by different rules over there.
Redvers continued, “We've just got to see whether or not common sense will prevail. I was told immediately after the race by a friend over there they thought we would lose it, and so did Sheikh Fahad, but I thought they were both bonkers because the best horse won comfortably. Wouldn't it be a wonderful utopia if we all raced by the same rules. It's a frustrating state of affairs, I've no idea what way it will go, but I just hope common sense prevails. If it's clearly a complete waste of time there is no point but I'm hoping an appeal can be done over the telephone and we don't have to send Jamie back out there because that would make it impossible.”
Beckett is similarly aggrieved and feels for the owners and the filly more than himself.
“Obviously it's deeply frustrating,” the conditioner said. “I'm very upset for the owners, both Newsells and Sheikh Fahad. I'll get over it, but the ramifications for them are endless. It's infuriating for them. She came into her 5-year-old career as a winner of two Listed races. She won a Group 2 and she isn't the winner of a Grade I, but she should be.
He added, “On the day the stewards are under pressure to come up with a decision. Perhaps in an appeal, where there's no time limit, we might get a better hearing, or have a better chance of getting it overturned.”
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