Christophe Soumillon hit with eight-day ban for assisting stablemate Gstaad on outsider in messy St James’s Palace Stakes
Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here
Christophe Soumillon was handed an eight-day ban at Royal Ascot on Tuesday after the stewards ruled that he rode Puerto Rico in a manner that assisted his stablemate Gstaad in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes.
An inquiry was launched into Soumillon’s ride on the 16-1 shot, who finished last in the opening-day highlight, amid concerns his actions hindered Power Blue, who was fourth, while creating an advantage for Ryan Moore’s mount Gstaad, the first string from the Aidan O’Brien yard.
It marked the second suspension in the race involving the Ballydoyle team, with Moore having earlier received a three-day careless-riding ban for failing to take sufficient corrective action after making contact with eventual winner Bow Echo and Talk Of New York when leaving the stalls.
Soumillon, Moore and Power Blue’s rider David Egan were shown recordings of the incident, while O’Brien was interviewed by telephone.
It was found that Soumillon deliberately moved Puerto Rico away from the rail after the home bend, where he then impeded the Amo Racing-owned outsider Power Blue, creating an opening on the inside for second favourite Gstaad and giving his stablemate an advantage in the closing stages.
The race produced a nail-biting finale, with a photo-finish called between Bow Echo and Gstaad before the former maintained his unbeaten record by a short head for rider Billy Loughnane and trainer George Boughey.
Bow Echo (right) narrowly beat Gstaad in the St James’s Palace StakesCredit: AFP via Getty Images
The winning 20-year-old rider said after the race: “The first furlong was crucial and we got squeezed out of it early. There were five of us in a line and I slightly lost my position from there on.
“Bow Echo was then lit up and I was just trying to manage him and get him back in behind. Then Power Blue came back into our lap. That meant I had to come out and move a little bit sooner than ideal, but his guts got him through. He’s determined to win and is blessed with a fantastic turn of foot and a lot of ability.”
Read more:
Bow Echo edges St James’s Palace Stakes thriller to maintain unbeaten record for relieved Billy Loughnane
‘Not one of my finest rides’ – How Bow Echo bailed Billy Loughnane out of trouble in a messy St James’s Palace
Sign up to Racing Post+ in time for Royal Ascot with 20% off Ultimate Annual, Tipping Annual or Insights Annual. Click here and sign up using code ASCOT26. Offer ends Tuesday, June 30. New customers only. After a year you will roll on to our standard pricing. No contract, no commitment, cancel any time.
