I’m overseas, so I was watching the Churchill in-house feed. Only after Saez’s post-race interview (~2 mins after they hit the wire) did the objection sign light up. Travis Stone says objection 2nd vs 1st. No mention of stewards inquiry. I was confused, since there was nothing obvious on the pan shot. I then sat there for 15 minutes watching an audio-less feed showing replays. Watching over and over again 7 vs 20. Thinking, well maybe 7 floated 20 a little wide but 20 had his chance and was clearly second-best. Eventually, numbers come off graphics, 20 placed first and 7 off the screen. The first thing I’m thinking is did they forget to punch the 20 into the 2nd spot after the DQ? I had NO idea they were looking at something else. For the entire duration of the stewards reviewing footage, not once was there any mention of them looking at something other than 7 vs 20. No flashing of the inquiry sign. No video of a jockey other than Saez or Prat speaking on the phone. No one mentioning on the feed that stewards were looking at something other than the objection. THIS is the problem. Whether the horse(s) affected lost their placing chance is debatable enough in itself, let alone doing so when they weren’t “officially” doing so.
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