Balding fails with Ebor appeal
Thursday, 9 September 2004 12:38Toby Balding's appeal to the Jockey Club to overturn the decision of the York stewards not to award the totesport Ebor to his runner Gold Ring has been unsuccessful.
The handler lodged his protest after the Luca Cumani-trained Mephisto veered left towards Gold Ring in the final furlong of the £200,000 handicap and delivered a slight bump before landing the race by a short head.
A lengthy stewards' inquiry followed but Mephisto was eventually confirmed the winner, with his rider Darryll Holland suspended for one day for careless riding.
Following the hearing, Cumani said: "I am obviously delighted. I am happy for the owner who always wanted to win the Ebor and was worried that his dream was going to be taken away from him. I think the best horse won."
Balding said: "We didn't win but we got an extremely good and fair hearing, where they agreed we had every right to appeal and that's why we got our deposit money returned.
"We would have preferred to get the race but we are perfectly satisfied with the appeal."
Filed
