Circus Maximus team relieved to keep Moulin after Romanised appeal fails

Connections of Circus Maximus told of their relief on Thursday after the three-year-old's victory over Romanised in the Prix du Moulin was upheld by a panel of three appeal stewards in Paris.

The original result was disputed by connections of the runner-up, who argued Circus Maximus had drifted to his right in the final furlong and a half, taking Romanised off his true line. It was also asserted a bump had caused him to change legs before rallying in the final strides to go down by just a nose.

In attendance and giving evidence in defence of Circus Maximus were Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore, while the interests of the colt's co-owners were represented by Niarchos family racing manager Alan Cooper and Coolmore's Hermine Bastide, as well as Mary-Daphne Fishelson of the legal firm August Debouzy.

"It was a thorough hearing and we're all relieved the appeal stewards upheld the decision of the stewards of the day," said Cooper.

Ken Condon and jockey Billy Lee were also at the hearing at France Galop headquarters to press their case, along with Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, racing manager to Romanised's owner Robert Ng.

The Longchamp stewards' original decision to allow Circus Maximus to keep the race was based on their perception that the two horses drifted to their left independently and that Moore's mount finished the race faster than his rival.

The decision handed down by the appeal panel was to rest on those same two principles, with particular emphasis placed on the interior tracking camera angle, which showed Circus Maximus accelerating past Romanised.

Condon pointed to the camera view from the outside, which he argued showed that Romanised was regaining ground on his rival in the final 75 yards, after the point of contact.

Ryan Moore (left) and Aidan O'Brien were both in attendance at the appeal hearingCredit: Edward Whitaker

One of the key incidents recalled from the original inquiry was the testimony of Lee, who was reported to have said that "Circus Maximus was finishing the faster".

When questioned about this statement by the panel chair Christine du Breil, Pritchard-Gordon interjected on Lee's behalf to say that the jockey’s statement at Longchamp had been mistranslated, and that he had actually said "Circus Maximus came past me and then bumped me".

In summing up, the appeal panel found that "there was no evidence that the colt Romanised had been deprived of a winning chance through interference which would have necessitated the demotion of Circus Maximus".

They went on to say that the key piece of evidence was the inner camera view, which they stated "shows clearly the relative progress of the two colts prior to the interference".

Put plainly, in the era of France's change to category one rules –similar to those in Britain and Ireland – the stewards took the superior finishing speed of Circus Maximus as proof he was the best horse on the day.

Reacting to the appeal stewards' finding, Pritchard-Gordon said: "It's a little disappointing but ultimately it's their decision. Everyone has their own opinion, we thought we had a very good case and I've been kindly contacted to say we put up a very good case.

"It's never easy, it's always an advantage when you're the first one past the post and it's harder to pull one down. It sounds as if there was a small element of doubt and we have to respect their opinion.

"We had a very fair hearing, and it was very cordial. The decision didn't go our way but we felt it was worth a try."

Romanised team ready to move on

Condon had indicated after the Moulin that Romanised might be finished for the season but connections are keeping options open.

Pritchard-Gordon added: "The most important thing is that the horse is in good form. We had a very good chat last night and this morning and Ken has been very pleased with him since the Moulin.

Romanised: the Classic winner could potentially run again this seasonCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

"We might not rule out the Breeders’ Cup Mile but we’ll make a decision nearer the time because horses are like leaves at this time of year, they can turn quickly. He's been on the go since April so we’ll try to do the right thing by the horse."

It is a similar situation for Circus Maximus, with Cooper echoing comments made earlier in the day by O'Brien that the team would take another week before deciding on Circus Maximus's next target.

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