Thunder Roar team mulling Doncaster demotion appeal

Connections of Thunder Roar are considering an appeal against his demotion in the Spring Mile Handicap at Doncaster on Saturday.

The chestnut, who is trained by Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood, was a 25-1 chance under Tom Eaves when carrying top weight in the contest.

He crossed the line a short head in front of Darryll Holland’s 50-1 shot Pearl Eye, ridden by Jason Watson, but both riders were then called into the stewards’ room to plead their cases after interference in the final half-furlong.

The stewards reversed the placings, deeming Thunder Roar to have left Pearl Eye short of racing room and given himself the winning advantage in the process of doing so.

Coyle has consulted Rory Mac Neice on the decision, a solicitor who regularly represents racing figures in such matters, and will await his analysis of the situation before proceeding with an appeal.

“We’ve been in contact with Rory Mac Neice and if he says appeal, we’ll appeal, if he says don’t, then we won’t,” said Coyle.

“We’re leaving it up to his judgement as it’s his job and he knows more than I do, we’ve got until Friday to appeal and we spoke to him yesterday and got the videos and audio of the stewards’ (inquiry) yesterday too.

“I just thought we’d won and that was that, race over, I never thought there’d be an inquiry.

“Two horses went for the same gap and our horse was going better than the second horse at the time, when I look back at it, he was entitled to go for that gap.

“That’s race riding. We’ll leave it to Rory, the race was worth plenty of money and we feel the stakes are high enough to appeal.”

Eaves was suspended for two days for careless riding after the race and has two working days from the date of the offence to lodge an appeal against the sanction.