The British Horse-Racing Authority have opened an enquiry after the Aidan O'Brien-trained Snowfall was mistakenly awarded third-place in today's Group One bet365 Fillies Mile.
It was in fact Snowfall's stable-mate Mother Earth who finished in the places with the wrong jockeys on the horses due to a saddling error before the race.
The issue was flagged up by twitter user Paddy McGhee.
Aidan O'Brien runners mixed up @NewmarketRace in the Fillies Mile?? Pic 1 shows Mother Earth at the Curragh and looks like she was called home as Snowfall in 3rd place today. Snowfall much lighter bay colour as seen in Pic 3 and white sock. @RacingPost @kevinblake2011 @RacingTV pic.twitter.com/OtJRSwOXYv
— Paddy McGhee (@PaddyMcGhee1) October 9, 2020
“I didn’t see the race, I just listened to it," O'Brien said from his Tipperary base. "Someone brought it to my attention then afterwards – that someone had tweeted that they were the wrong fillies.
“I went straight away to look at the race and the minute I saw them coming out of the stalls I knew that they were the wrong fillies.
“Obviously I rang the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) straight away and said it to them.
“What happened was that our lads put the wrong saddles on the wrong fillies.”
“The stewards have been made aware of a potential issue regarding the Group One Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket today which have resulted in the incorrect rider and number cloths being carried by the two horses trained by Aidan O’Brien," the British Horse-Racing Authority announced this evening.
“A stewards enquiry will be held on the racecourse tomorrow to consider all of the relevant evidence and determine the course of events and what action needs to be taken.”
