Two winners thrown out by the stewards on a tough day for favourite backers

A dramatic afternoon at Ffos Las resulted in two hot favourites being thrown out in almost identical circumstances as Evocative Spark and Lexington Fury were awarded victories in the stewards' room.

Hot favourites Out From Under, a 5-4 shot for the 7½f novice (1.55), and Alhezabr, who was 10-11 for the mile maiden (3.40), finished a head in front of their runners-up, but were demoted having caused substantial interference in the final furlong.

Mike Prince, director of operations at Middleham Park Racing, owners of Lexington Fury, believed the stewards had "set a precedent" after the first decision, leaving them with little option but to overturn the second.

1.55 Ffos Las: full result and replay

The first inquiry was called after Out From Under drifted left and bumped into the Hugo Palmer-trained runner-up Evocative Spark, who in turn bumped third-placed Cabrakan, before holding on by a head.

Immediately after the race, jockey Trevor Whelan told Sky Sports Racing that Out From Under showed a lot of greenness but was "winning all the way" and was "the best horse in the race".

However, after a lengthy inquiry the stewards ruled that Evocative Spark, a two-year-old Frankel colt, "was given a substantial bump, moved off its intended line of running and unbalanced when making contact with the third-placed horse Cabrakan, all of which cost it more than the head by which it was beaten".

Trainer Roger Charlton was understanding of the decision to strip Out From Under of victory and said: "The stewards are there to do a job and they've done it, so there is no point complaining about it."

'Callum said he was sure he was going to win'

Speaking from Newmarket Palmer, who had not seen the finish himself, reported that Evocative Spark's jockey Callum Shepherd was convinced he would have finished in front had it not been for the interference.

Palmer said: "Newmarket still has 1987 phone reception, so I only saw every 100 yards, but I got a phone call to tell me we'd been awarded it. Callum said afterwards he was sure he was going to win until he was bumped into.

"Evocative Spark's got a pedigree to die for. He was unsold at the sales last year because he was a little on the small side, but all he's done since is grow and improve and I'm delighted he's won. He should thrive in the autumn."

3.40 Ffos Las: full result and replay

History repeated itself less than two hours later as the Roger Varian-trained Alhezabr bumped and brushed into Lexington Fury.

The official stewards' report stated that resulted in the Middleham Park-owned runner "being intimidated off its intended line of running a few strides from the winning post".

Given what had happened earlier on the card, Prince was always confident his runner would get the nod in the stewards' room. He said: "I think he deservedly got it. The stewards set a precedent earlier in the day. He was ahead and then was sticking on again after and was ahead again after the line.

"We were discussing it between ourselves and we thought he was quite likely to get it because of the earlier decision, and the interference in that race was actually less visible than in ours. You never quite know with an inquiry, but if we were ever going to get one today was the day.

"In the last few years getting a result turned around has been few and far between, but I think common sense has prevailed today."

Out From Under's jockey Whelan was given a two-day careless riding ban for allowing his mount to drift left-handed without sufficient correction, although Alhezabr's rider Jack Mitchell was reprieved after the second incident was judged to be accidental.

It was not the first time two results on the same card had been overturned. On August 13, 1994 two Group races at the Curragh saw results altered by stewards.

Blue Judge was demoted to second in favour of Dancing Sunset in the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes before Heart Lake was disqualified from the Group 2 Desmond Stakes two hours later with Bin Ajwaad awarded victory.

Results, replays and analysis

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