O'Brien Dismissed Team Tactics Accusations Following St James's Palace Stakes Controversy

The Irish trainer defended his representatives' strategy following Christophe Soumillon's suspension and assured that his horses only run to guarantee a genuine pace

BERKSHIRE, England (Special for Turf Diario).– The controversy generated after the St James's Palace Stakes(G1) continues to add chapters at Royal Ascot. After the stewards suspended Christophe Soumillon for 8 days, considering that he favored his stablemate Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) during the running of the race, Aidan O'Brien came out publicly to reject any insinuation of team tactics within his powerful Ballydoyle squad.

The race, which ended with the undefeated Bow Echo (Night of Thunder) prevailing by a tight head over Gstaad, left more debate off the track than on it. The stewards understood that Soumillon, jockey of Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett), deliberately shifted his mount outward in the straight, hampering the advance of Power Blue (Space Blues) and generating a favorable opening for Ryan Moore to find room with Gstaad along the rails.

The decision resulted in an 8-day sanction for the Belgian rider, while Moore received a 3-day suspension for careless riding in the opening furlongs of the competition.

However, O'Brien was categorical when asked about the possibility of instructions existing to benefit one of his representatives: "There is absolutely no doubt about that," the trainer affirmed. "I always say that when we run more than one horse in a race, they are there for one reason only: to ensure an even pace for everyone. That is the sole purpose."

The Irishman further explained that a clear running allows for a proper evaluation of each contender's level and ideal distance.

"When the race is over, you know what distance suits your horse and if he has enough quality to compete against those rivals. If the race becomes a tactical muddle, nobody really knows what happened and the conclusions are of no use to anyone," he added.

Regarding the stewards' resolution, O'Brien avoided entering into conflict: "The stewards are the ones who make the decisions. Rules are rules and they have a job to do."

The trainer also revealed how he envisioned the running prior to the break: "I thought both horses were going to race up front. I believed Christophe would be the pacemaker because his horse had won two G1 races leading the way last year. That's why he was riding him. My impression was that Puerto Rico would set the pace and Ryan would sit second. That's how I saw it. Afterwards, I don't know what happened. I saw it just like everyone else."

Beyond the controversy, O'Brien is already thinking about a possible rematch between Gstaad and Bow Echo. The Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood appears as the next major objective.

"Now we look forward to the next opportunity. It could be Goodwood if everything goes well. I love it when the best horses face each other. I always accept a defeat, as long as everyone gets a fair shot. Competition is what we all want to see," he concluded.

Meanwhile, the discussion will remain open. The British Horseracing Authority avoided making additional comments regarding Soumillon's sanction in light of a potential appeal, although the episode has already established itself as one of the hottest topics of the week at Royal Ascot.