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O'BRIEN AND DETTORI IN ASCOT ROW
By PA Sport Staff
Controversy reigned after the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot following George Washington's sensational return to his brilliant best.
Frankie Dettori and Aidan O'Brien clashed in the weighing room after Seamus Heffernan was handed a 14-day suspension for improper riding on Ivan Denisovich, one of three horses the Ballydoyle trainer ran in the one-mile showpiece.
Heffernan was banned from October 4 to October 17 inclusive after the stewards ruled he had caused deliberate interference to Dettori's mount Librettist on the final bend.
At an enquiry under Rule 153 and the HRA Instruction H1 headed 'Pacemakers (Team Tactics)', the officials decided Heffernan had deliberately taken Dettori off his line on the Godolphin-owned Librettist, who faded into sixth behind the winner.
As O'Brien pleaded with stewards' secretary Adrian Sharpe, Dettori boiled over when O'Brien tried to talk to him about the incident.
"It's out of order," the Italian said.
O'Brien continued to plead with Sharpe and said: "They've given Seamus two weeks for doing nothing. All he did was hold his position. Frankie stated it was foul play on our part and that we ganged up on him, but that was not the case."
Asked if he would appeal against the decision, O'Brien said: "What's the point?" and then left the racecourse.
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