Simple Verse Reinstated as St. Leger Winner

In a major victory for Qatar Racing and trainer Ralph Beckett, a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel has overturned the disqualification of Simple Verse from her victory in the Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-I) at Doncaster.

As a result of the BHA panel's decision, Simple Verse has been resintated as the winner of the Sept. 12 classic and Bondi Beach has been moved back to his original finish position of second after having been promoted by stewards.

Simple Verse, by Duke of Marmalade, was disqualified after a review of the race in which the filly and Bondi Beach, by Galileo, who is trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith, appeared to bump twice in the closing stages of the race in which the final margin was a head. Qatar and Beckett immediately appealed.

Beckett and jockey Andrea Atzeni were supported at the appeal hearing at High Holborn in London by David Redvers, racing manager for the owners, Graeme McPherson QC, instructing solicitor Andrew Chalk, and Qatar Racing representatives John Maxse and Kevin Darley.

O'Brien and jockey Colm O'Donoghue represented Bondi Beach alongside John Kelsey-Fry QC and instructing solicitor Kevin Power.

"For me, under our rules, we always had an excellent case, given what has been going on on our racecourses for the last five years in similar instances," Beckett said in a statement released through the BHA. "I thought our brief (McPherson) was excellent and argued it very well and I was confident the panel would see it our way. But obviously you can never be sure.

"It's not quite the same, and it's never going to be quite the same, in the sense of when you have it taken away on the day," the trainer continued. "It was horrendous at the time and it's been a pretty miserable 11 days for those who live and work with me. It's not been much fun."

Simple Verse had been supplemented for the Leger at a cost of £50,000 after a group III victory at Goodwood.

Beckett said: "It was a big call by us to supplement her in the first place, as she was a filly who only won off 82 in June. We had all our ducks in a row and to have it taken away was sickening; to get it back is terrific, but to do it like this is not the way you want to do it. Justice has been done, but I'm never going to feel about this win the way I did the two Oaks.

"I'm quite happy with the rules as they are; I would make the suspensions for jockeys longer," Beckett continued. "If you want to cut down interference on the track, we need to be tougher on the jockeys. That would be my view. They (Doncaster stewards) completely ignored Bondi Beach in relation to any interference made and there was no reference to it in their report.



"The first piece of interference two furlongs out was the most compelling, and for me that was the most important part as it was two furlongs out. The incident at the half-furlong pole was set off by Bondi Beach leaning on her."

"I feel a relief, it's a big thing as you don't win classics every day; they are very hard to win, especially on a filly," Atzeni said in a statement. "On the day I was heartbroken and was very sad. However, there are worse things in life and at least we got it back and we can move forward now."

"On behalf of Sheikh Fahad, I'd like to thank the legal team who have done an amazing job and pay tribute to the phenomenal training performance by Ralph Beckett, as it's our first Classic winner (in Britain)," Redvers said. "There is no question it has been a tough 11 days for Sheikh Fahad; it is testament to him to present the trophy (for the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes, Ire-I, at Leopardstown in Ireland) after having the greatest success of his career taken away from him on that day. We have a very nice filly and the season is not over yet."

Qatar Racing is also appealing the disqualification of Secret Gesture, owned in partnership with Newsells Park Stud,from first to third Aug. 15 in the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse. That appeal was heard during a two-day hearing last week.

"I am delighted for Ralph Beckett and Sheikh Fahad on his first (British) classic win," O'Brien said in a BHA statement. "We felt we had a fair hearing and some you win and some you lose. Colm did his best to give the horse a winning ride and conducted himself like a professional today.

"Colm lost a classic, but I'm sure he will get more. Life goes on; some days work for you and some against. "I think Bondi Beach will go to Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup now, as he seems in good form since Doncaster."