PUNTERS were fuming as the Cesarewitch Handicap result was overturned a SECOND time a month after the race.
Alphonse Le Grande was yesterday shockingly re-instated as the winner of the £90,000 race at Newmarket.
The Cathy O’Leary-trained horse crossed the line first, but jockey Jamie Powell was found guilty of breaching the whip rules.
The 33-1 Alphonse Le Grande was then disqualified and the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Manxman, who lost by a nose, was named winner in his place.
But the decision was changed AGAIN yesterday.
The BHA’s independent appeals board confirmed that Powell’s final use of the whip had not actually made contact with the horse.
Connections were given back the £90,000 winnings AND Powell’s monster 28-day ban was reduced by eight days.
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One man’s gain is another man’s loss, and connections of the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Manxman will now lose around £50,000 as they are demoted back to second.
The fiasco prompted punters to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, to vent their frustration.
One said: “Farce. You can break the rules and still win. Sends the wrong message out.”
Whilst another punter took the view that the in-the-moment celebrations had been well and truly ruined.
They said on X: “What should have been a fantastic celebration at the time turned into a farce.”
Another added: “Oh dear. What a complete mess.”
And one commented: “Racing in this country is an absolute shambles, amateur errors, corrupt and trainers sponsored by betting companies.”
One questioned: “Three results for one race?”
The original change also prompted a huge amount of controversy, with former Champion Jockey Seb Sanders blasting the original result.
Appeals panel chair Sarah Crowther said: “We think the BHA has not satisfied us that there was contact as Mr Powell’s arm came back and the whip went across the back of the horse.
“We find that his body position was different to the first nine strikes. It seems to us that he was somewhat crouched and off balance to his left and very low in the saddle.”
She added: “Therefore, there were nine uses, three above the permitted level. The horse will be reinstated and the suspension will be 20 days.”
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