Guineas disqualification brings heated reactions

Press, 6 May 1980, Page 38

Guineas disqualification brings heated reactions

NZPA ' . Newmarket, ■ L, , England The $L million colt Nureyev -r returned??. to France yesterday with: his downcast connections while controversy continued to swirl over his > shock disqualification in the 2000 Guineas. The hot favourite, the target of huge anti-post wagers throughout the winter, duly won Saturday’s big race by a neck from. Known Fact but was. disqualified and placed last after hampering Posse two furlongs out. The British press reserved its sharpest criticism for Nureyev’s jockey, Philippe pacquet, who, like many French riders before him, got into a lot of trouble on Newmarket’s daunting straight mile. “The horse should have won by several lengths instead of gaining a narrow verdict. Jockeyship lost him

the race,” the “Observer” commented. The “Sunday Telegraph” attacked .Racquet for his “fatally rash decision to attempt a passage through the heart of the field.” . It was. the first time for 62 .years that an English classic winner has been disqualified. > Pacquet, who was drawn one, dropped the favourite right out in the early stages and eventually got through on. the wide outside. He was given a seven-day suspension for his erratic riding, -a” Clearly, Posse and Pat Eddery were impeded by Nureyev but to many on the race course it seemed. a harsh decision to demote the favourite to last place. Known-Fact, given a clear run on the. inside by Willie Carson, was not involved in any of the midfield scrummaging and was still beaten on merit by Nureyev.

The disqualification was a bitter pill for trainer, Francois Boutin to swallow. He argued that the steward’s decision was wrong because the incident took place more than a quarter of a .mile from home. Now two big question marks hang over the Epsom Derby. Will Nureyev return after Saturday’s fiasco and will the colt stay the distance in Britain’s premier classic next month?