Shes Perfect connections ready to appeal French 1000 Guineas demotion

Connections of Shes Perfect are ready to appeal her demotion in Sunday’s French 1000 Guineas, with the focus being on Mickael Barzalona’s ride on the eventual winner Zarigana.

The Charlie Fellowes-trained filly sparked scenes of wild celebration from members of the Basher Watts Racing syndicate after passing the post a nose in front of Francis-Henri Graffard’s hot favourite in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, but their joy was short lived.

Barzalona lodged an objection after returning to the weighing room and following a stewards’ inquiry, the placings were reversed, leaving Shes Perfect’s owners and Fellowes crestfallen at ParisLongchamp.

Fellowes, who also saddled Luther to finish a close-up fourth in the French 2000 Guineas on the same afternoon, said: “I still feel very, very proud of my two horses. If you’d offered me walking into the track second and fourth I’d have snapped your arm off, so we can’t be disappointed.

“Obviously to think that you’ve won your first Group One and a Classic to boot, and have it taken away the way it was, is heartbreaking. It probably still hasn’t really sunk in if I’m completely honest.”

The stewards explained their decision to Fellowes on the day and while the handler accepts interference took place, with Shes Perfect drifting left into the fourth home Exactly which then impeded Zarigana over a furlong out, he feels Barzalona’s decision to slap the winner down the neck with his hand inside the final furlong after dropping his whip should be looked at.

“Essentially you can’t not accept what the stewards said. We definitely veered off a straight line and we definitely caused interference up the home straight. For anyone to deny that is kidding themselves, but that in my opinion only tells half the story,” Fellowes added.

“First and foremost, we think it was a very long way away from the winning line and Zarigana had more than enough chance to get back up and go past. We also just want clarification on the rules of how you’re allowed to ride a finish in a race, because Mickael Barzalona pulls his stick through and hit Zarigana twice with his stick before dropping it, which is nobody’s fault other than his.

“It wasn’t a result of contact or anything like that, it was pure jockey error.

“He then straightens his filly up and uses his hand to hit the filly in the last furlong and that doesn’t quite sit right with me at this stage, because he has done that to try to encourage his horse to run faster and I don’t really see what the difference between slapping your horse down the neck to using your stick is.

“The rules in France clearly state that you’re allowed to use your stick four times I think, anything over that and the jockey is subject to a ban and a fine, and then I think over nine it’s disqualification.

“She’s been hit twice with the stick and then I think 12 times with his hand, so 14 altogether. I think it sets a very dodgy precedent if it’s allowed to stand because jockeys are going to start going to the max with their sticks and then putting their stick down and slapping them. I don’t think anyone in racing wants that.

“I don’t know what the rules are, that’s what we’re interested to find out, and that will be the basis of our appeal.

“We’re still speaking to a few people trying to get some opinions. You can’t deny there’s interference, I think it would be stupid to base an appeal around that because there is interference, but I think Zarigana has got closer to us than she would have done because of the riding of Mickael Barzalona and I don’t think that riding was within the rules myself.”

Whatever the result of a potential appeal, Fellowes is excited to see what the future holds for both Shes Perfect and Luther and insists the experience will not put him off returning to France.

He said: “With She’s Perfect will be a decision between the Prix de Diane, if we want to step up to 10 furlongs, or the Coronation Stakes (at Royal Ascot).

“We’ll see what happens over the next week and see how she comes out of it. The Prix de Diane is the weekend before the Coronation, so we’ve got plenty of time and we’re not in a rush to make a decision.

“With the colt we’re probably leaning towards the Prix du Jockey Club at this stage – I think it’s fair to say we have unfinished business in France!

“We’ve had a great time over there and we’ve been looked after impeccably by the French. They really put a huge amount of effort in with the syndicate that own Shes Perfect and we love racing in France.

“What happened on Sunday definitely won’t stop us going over there. If anything, it makes us even more determined to go back there and get in the winner’s enclosure.”