‘I didn’t say that. He’s wrong’ – Dettori counters Murphy claim

TEMPERS simmered after the controversial conclusion to the Commonwealth Cup with Oisin Murphy and Frankie Dettori putting forward conflicting views of how the stewards reached their decision to amend the result.

Murphy and Dettori both offered congratulations and commiserations to connections of the first two home in the Group 1 race in the aftermath of stewards revising the places in favour of second home Campanelle over Dragon Symbol, but disputed how the decision was reached.

And it led to a sharp denial from Dettori that he felt Dragon Symbol was the best horse.

On multiple occasions, champion jockey Murphy, 25, stressed that the stewards had elected to demote his mount Dragon Symbol against his own view and that of Dettori, 50, who had also allegedly felt he had been the superior horse.

Asked how he felt about the result, Murphy said: “It doesn’t really matter what I feel. The stewards felt Campanelle deserved the race.

“In Frankie’s own words Dragon Symbol was the best horse in the race – does anyone else need to give an opinion?

“I went into the stewards’ room knowing I was on the best horse, Frankie told me I was on the best horse, it just didn’t go my way.”

Questioned as to why the stewards reversed the result given the scenario he outlined, Murphy added: “Welcome to horseracing.”

Murphy has spoken glowingly of his relationship with Dettori, describing him as “the best” in an interview last year and outlining how his weighingroom colleague had helped him stay upbeat during his three-month suspension for testing positive for metabolites of cocaine.

Yet, his comments on how the stewards’ inquiry had unfolded seemed to take Dettori by surprise

when they were put to him, with the rider insisting he had been firmly behind his own mount.

“I didn’t say that. I said that my horse was the best horse in the race,” Dettori said.

Told Murphy had outlined the situation on numerous occasions, Dettori added: “Well, he’s wrong.”

The BHA’s chief steward Shaun Parker said the inquiry had not been tetchy and the decision to overturn the result was made after officials concluded that Campanelle would have won without impediment.

“It was not a bad tempered hearing and no one wants to see a race won in the stewards’ room, let alone a Group 1,” Parker said. “People want to defend their position but we have to be led by the evidence of what we see.

“We are the neutrals in this situation and we felt that without the interference Frankie would have beaten Oisin and Frankie’s filly was coming back at the line as well.”