Following a three-hour hearing, Irish racing officials Monday confirmed High Chaparral as the winner of the The Food Island Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I) at Leopardstown Sept. 7, dismissing an appeal to the original stewards' decision brought by the connections of Falbrav.
Trainer Luca Cumani and jockey Darryll Holland pressed Falbrav's case before a three-member appeal committee at The Curragh racecourse. Falbrav was beaten by a neck in the Champion Stakes, although Cumani and Holland contended that the horse was bothered by High Chaparral coming over on him in the closing stages.
The committee concurred with the earlier stewards' decision that High Chaparral did cause interference, but not enough to warrant a change in the order of finish.
"Obviously we are disappointed with the outcome," Cumani told
The Racing Post. "We thought the horse would have won, and it's slightly disappointing that they did not agree but we received a good hearing and we will put it behind us now."
Falbrav is in Southern California for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita Saturday. Cumani said that a decision on whether the 5-year-old son of Fairy King will compete in the Turf or the Classic would be made Tuesday morning.
High Chaparral, owned by Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier, defends his Breeders' Cup Turf crown Saturday.
