Classic anguish for Fellowes as Shes Perfect is demoted in France

Charlie Fellowes described his “heartbreak” after Shes Perfect was demoted from first place in the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp.

The daughter of Sioux Nation has taken members of the Basher Watts Racing syndicate on quite a journey since she was purchased for €50,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Up sale exactly a year ago and earned herself tilt at Classic glory finishing a close second to the reopposing Zarigana in the Prix de la Grotte over the course and distance last month.

Zarigana was a hot favourite to confirm her superiority in the French 1000 Guineas, but just as she had done four weeks ago, Shes Perfect found herself in front from an early stage in the hands of Kieran Shoemark and she had plenty of her rivals on the stretch rounding the home turn.

For a few strides the daughter of Sioux Nation looked like a sitting duck in the straight, but to her credit she kept responding to Shoemark’s urging and while Zarigana came at her fast and late, Shes Perfect passed the post a nose in front.

The victory sparked scenes of wild celebration in the ParisLongchamp winner’s enclosure, but that joy proved short lived as Zarigana’s rider Mickael Barzalona lodged an objection after the race and following an inquiry, the result was amended.

Fellowes, who earlier in the afternoon saddled Luther to finish a close-up fourth in the French 2000 Guineas, told the PA news agency: “Obviously at the moment it’s heartbreak more than anything.

“I thought I’d won my first Group One and I don’t really know what to think at the moment. I’ve seen the replay and in England I don’t think the result would be changed, but we know the French rules are stricter than ours.

“There definitely was a bump, but did it affect the result? I don’t believe so, but the stewards felt that it did.

“I am extremely proud of both horses and the team at home. To have horses finish fourth and second in two Classics, they have run out of their skins and there’s brighter days ahead, but to have it taken away at this stage is heartbreaking.”

On whether connections will consider a potential appeal, Fellowes added: “I don’t know the rules, I need to get some advice from people that are better placed in France than I am and we’ll go from there.

“If we think there’s any point in appealing then we’ll have to consider it, but it’s not my area of expertise.”

France Galop’s Samuel Fargeat explained the stewards had assessed two incidents, the first involving Shes Perfect, fourth-placed Exactly and Zarigana, who all appeared to get close, before the last two fillies also came together towards the line.

The stewards decided the first incident had impacted the result but the second had not, and Zarigana’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard felt his filly had been “unbalanced at the wrong time”.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “Obviously it was a tough few minutes and we don’t like to win like this and I feel sorry for the connections of Shes Perfect because they had the joy, but this is sport and this is racing and it has happened to me in the past.

“To be fair, my filly, when she came (with her challenge) she got really unbalanced at the wrong time and in the end it was only a nose.

“It was a decision in the stewards’ room, but I’m very happy for this filly especially. There was a lot of expectation and she deserves a win like that. It would have been very frustrating to be second and beaten a nose and for the team at home it’s really good.

“It’s quite hard to really enjoy it, it’s more like relief than proper joy.”

Zarigana could now make an appearance at Royal Ascot, with her trainer adding: “We’ll have to discuss it, I’m not sure she needs to be stepped up in trip, so if we decide to stick to a mile we’ll go to Ascot for the Coronation Stakes with her.”