'The best filly finished second' - drama at Goodwood as Raqiya awarded Oak Tree in stewards' room over favourite Jabaara

Owen Burrows expressed sympathy with his good friend and fellow trainer Roger Varian after his filly Raqiya was awarded the Visit Qatar Oak Tree Stakes in the stewards’ room – but felt the right decision had been made.

Jabaara, the 5-2 favourite trained by Varian, was first past the post but the stewards deemed James Doyle’s mount to have cost Raqiya (7-1) victory after edging across to the far rail at the furlong pole. The winning margin was a head.

Raqiya’s jockey Jim Crowley was adamant in the stewards’ room that the best filly had finished second and Burrows felt she would have been unfortunate not to win.

It was a first Group success for the Shadwell homebred, who gained a breakthrough Listed win in the British Stallion Studs EBF Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury in May.

• Glorious Goodwood day two - as it happened

Burrows said: “Roger is one of my best mates, so it’s never nice to win one like that. Jim felt we would have won with a clear run, and watching it a few times on the big screen, we probably felt we would have been an unlucky loser, but that's the way it goes here sometimes. It was there for all to see. It would have been a bit gutting not to get it.

“The most positive thing about the race, even if we didn’t get it, was that seven furlongs on fast ground is her bag. That was a big positive to take out of it.”

Jabaara (left, James Doyle) leads Raqiya (Jim Crowley) in the Oak Tree Stakes at Glorious GoodwoodCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Varian did not feel Raqiya’s momentum was checked and anticipated Jabaara keeping the result. He nonetheless was proud of her performance, backing up her Group 1 second in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.

“The stewards have had the luxury of watching it many more times than me from lots of different angles and they have come to that decision, so we have to congratulate the winner,” said Varian.

“It’s a shame. I think our filly was on top for much of the race but maybe she just threw it away. Although we definitely took Jim’s lane, I didn’t think that he had to take back and I didn’t think his momentum was checked. I’ve seen worse incidents not reversed, so I thought we'd be okay.

“It was a great performance. She was very dominant and maybe she got a bit lonely in front. She ran off her true line and has paid the penalty. I’m disappointed, but I’m very pleased with her performance.”

The interference in detail

Jabaara (third left) begins to drift to her right with Jim Crowley hard at work on Raqiya on the rail sideCredit: ITV

Jabaara continues her movement and comes across the path of RaqiyaCredit: ITV

Now fully cut off by the favourite Jabaara, Crowley is forced to switch Raqiya to the outsideCredit: ITV

ITV pundits Johnny Murtagh and Jason Weaver gave forthright opposing views on the incident, with Murtagh surprised by the stewards’ decision and Weaver in agreement with the reversal.

Murtagh said: “I think the stewards bottled it and the best horse won. The rules are if you are a length and a half clear you can cross over, and he was a length and a half clear. Jim anticipated Jabaara coming over and he made his manoeuvre to the outside.”

Weaver said: “The way Raqiya was finishing, she had to be the moral winner. I didn’t think Jabaara was a length and a half clear when she went to the rail.”

Doyle was cautioned by stewards for careless riding but did not pick up a suspension.

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