Watts initially celebrated enthusiastically with syndicate members.
However Mickael Barzalona, rider of Zarigana – owned by the Aga Khan’s household – lodged an objection after the race and following an inquiry the end result was amended.
Barzalona appeared to drop his whip within the ultimate furlong after utilizing it twice, earlier than utilizing his proper hand down his mount’s neck on a number of events to encourage Zarigana within the closing levels.
France Galop’s guidelines restrict use of the whip greater than 4 instances and if a jockey strikes a horse 9 instances or extra, it might set off disqualification.
Watts stated: “Any jockey exceeding 9 strikes would obtain instantaneous disqualification. Zarigana was struck two instances with the whip and 12 instances by hand…14 strikes.”
Samuel Fargeat, spokesman for French governing physique France Galop, stated the stewards had assessed two incidents, the primary involving Shes Excellent, fourth-placed Precisely and Zarigana, who all appeared to get shut, earlier than the final two fillies additionally got here collectively in direction of the road.
The stewards determined the primary incident had impacted the end result however the second had not, and Zarigana’s coach Francis-Henri Graffard felt his filly had been “unbalanced on the fallacious time”.
Graffard stated Barzalona had given the horse “an amazing journey” and added: “The inquiry minutes felt lengthy and nerve-racking. We do not like profitable races this fashion, and I really feel sorry for the Shes Excellent workforce. However that is racing.”
