JOCKEY Shane Foley was banned moments after landing the biggest win of his life on a 50-1 outsider.
It came as rival trainer Donnacha O’Brien slammed Foley’s Irish Champion Stakes ride aboard Hotazhell as ‘brutal’, adding: “If a claimer did that you’d give them a bing.”
Foley fended off the fast-finishing Wimbledon Hawkeye to land the £630,000 first-place prize in the epic Leopardstown feature on Sunday.
O’Brien’s A Boy Named Susie, ridden by Oisin Murphy, was one of those caught up in the late scrimmaging.
Hotazhell – who was matched at 600 in-running on the Betfair Exchange – lugged left approaching the line while pacemakers Lambourn and Hawk Mountain gave best on the inner, hampering A Boy Named Susie, who finished fifth.
Legendary jumps jockey Ruby Walsh was one of those who picked up on the incident, saying: “I do think Hotazhell has caused all of that interference.
“Shane Foley, with his whip in his right hand, hasn’t tried overly hard to straighten him up either.
“I don’t think he should lose the race but you’re not happy if you’re on A Boy Named Susie.”
George Scott’s Wimbledown Hawkeye flew home down the centre but it wasn’t enough to catch the Jessica Harrington-trained winner.
Stewards took a dim view of Foley’s riding in the closing stages, banning him 11 days for being ‘careless’.
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Their official report read: “The Raceday Stewards enquired into an incident in the straight involving Hotazhell (GB), ridden by S. Foley, Lambourn, ridden by D.P. McDonogh, A Boy Named Susie, ridden by O. Murphy, and Hawk Mountain, ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot where it appeared Lambourn, A Boy Named Susie and Hawk Mountain all had to check.
“Evidence was heard from the riders concerned.
“S. Foley said his mount went left for a few stride but he corrected him shortly after.
” D.P. McDonogh, O. Murphy and Pierre-Charles Boudot all said they had to check after receiving pressure from their outside.
“Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Raceday Stewards found S. Foley was in breach of Rule 214 in that he had ridden carelessly and having considered his record (third offence) and the prolonged and continuous nature of the offence, they suspended him for 11 racedays.”
O’Brien was asked about the incident and said: “I thought it was brutal riding to be honest.
“If a claimer did that you’d give them a bing. That’s racing and I’m sure he’d know that himself.
“Oisin thought he was coming to win, he thought he was going better than the winner at the time.
“I think he had the quickest second last to last furlong and then he obviously just got wiped.
“He’s a good horse and he seems OK afterwards so it could be worse.
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“It’s so hard to get horses that good and to get them right on the day.
“To get to a race like that with a chance is so hard that it is frustrating.”
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