Christophe Soumillon has been handed an eight-day suspension by stewards on the opening day of Royal Ascot for his riding tactics aboard an Aidan O'Brien-trained horse. The incident occurred during the £700,000 St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday.
Race Tactics Under Scrutiny
Soumillon was riding Puerto Rico, the stable's secondary option to Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Gstaad. The race was billed as a rematch between Gstaad and Bow Echo, who had beaten the Ballydoyle representative in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this season.
In major races, O'Brien often uses a horse to set the pace for his principal runners. Soumillon was instructed to perform this role on Puerto Rico, who quickly took the lead. As the race progressed, Soumillon looked back at least twice to check where Ryan Moore was positioned on Gstaad.
Manoeuvre Creates Clear Passage
As he approached the straight, Soumillon moved Puerto Rico left and away from the far rail, creating a clear path along the rail for Moore to launch his challenge on Gstaad. Moore accepted the opportunity, but Gstaad could not catch Bow Echo, losing by a short head. Puerto Rico finished last of the six runners.
Stewards' Inquiry
Soumillon was called to a stewards' inquiry to examine whether he rode in a manner to benefit Gstaad and caused minimal interference to Powder Blue, ridden by David Egan.
Soumillon, Moore, and Egan were questioned and shown recordings of the incident. O'Brien was questioned by telephone.
Penalties Imposed
Soumillon received an eight-day ban for riding his mount in a way intended to give an advantage to another horse from the same stable by moving away from the rail to ensure a clear run for Gstaad. A separate inquiry into earlier interference found Moore guilty of careless riding, resulting in a three-day suspension.
