Racing: Quest for Guineas all to no avail

NEWMARKET - Special Duty won the English 1000 Guineas from Jacqueline Quest after a stewards' inquiry, despite finishing second by a nose to the 66-1 shot.

The stewards ruled that Jacqueline Quest had pushed 9-2 shot Special Duty across the course when they briefly touched in the race to the line.

The revised result of the first fillies' classic of the season completed a first-ever French-trained Guineas double after Makfi won the colts' equivalent, the 2000 Guineas, on Sunday.

Ridden by Stephane Pasquier, Special Duty is trained by Criquette Head-Maarek, who won the race for the fourth time. The stewards' decision denied Jacqueline Quest's trainer, Henry Cecil, a seventh triumph in the race.

Their decision came 10 minutes after a dramatic finish to the straight one-mile race.

The field of 18 split into two groups across the Newmarket course and the leading two came out of those on the inside rail.

Jacqueline Quest, with Tom Queally in the saddle, hit the front but Special Duty got within a nose of victory at the finish line only to get the decision after the inquiry.

William Nunneley, stipendiary steward at Newmarket, told the Racing Post: "When you've got such a short distance between two horses you have to make a decision.

"When you look at how Jacqueline Quest drifts right-handed and they've touched. Tom Queally has his whip in his left hand and didn't pull it through, it wasn't too difficult a decision, they've gone halfway across the track."

Criquette Head-Maarek said: "Stephane said that, had the other filly not pushed him over, he would have won easily. But [Jacqueline Quest] was drifting all the time.

"I didn't think [the bump] was that bad watching it live but then I saw the replay and I thought we had a chance.

"There are two weeks between now and the French Guineas so maybe she will go to Longchamp. I will have to talk to the [owner]."

She added: "I don't like to win races like that and I feel very sorry for the others. I think they [the stewards] were right to do that, but I didn't think they would."

Cecil accepted the ruling.

"It's one of those things," he said. "She ran really well. I wasn't sure she'd stay a mile but she's improving. Maybe I'll get my own back at Royal Ascot."

Jim Bolger, who trains third-placed Gile Na Greine, said: "I've got no complaints. She ran a great race. She could go to York for the Musidora and could be an Oaks horse."

The result was heartbreaking for Jacqueline Quest's owner Noel Martin, who named the filly after his dead wife.

Martin, who is a quadriplegic after a concrete block was thrown through his windscreen by neo-Nazis causing him to crash into a tree in 1996, was interviewed on Channel 4 before the result was reversed.

Speaking afterwards, he said: "Never mind, we will do another interview some other time. It's not a loss, it's one of those things.

"British horse racing hasn't had a race taken away for God knows when. I've been through a lot of bad luck so it's not a problem."

- AP