Champ de Mars: False Starts, Sanctions, and Incidents Mark the 3rd Day

The third day of racing at Champ de Mars, held on Saturday, May 16, was marked by several incidents at the start, disciplinary sanctions, investigations by the Stewards, as well as various veterinary issues noted during the eight races of the day.

The first major incident occurred during the opening race when Fire Starter broke from the stalls prematurely, resulting in a false start. The horse was later withdrawn on veterinary advice after sustaining a head injury. The officials mandated that it must undergo a barrier trial before participating in future races.

In the fourth race, Palermo showed considerable difficulty in the stalls, rearing multiple times before the start. Its starting certificate was suspended, and it too will need to pass a barrier trial before being allowed to race again.

Jockey I. Santana found himself at the center of several interventions from the Stewards. He was fined Rs 25,000 after dropping his whip during the second race; the officials deemed he had taken unnecessary risks while handling it. The jockey also received a stern warning following an incident involving Cumbre Vieja and Bacchus in the sixth race.

The report also indicates that an investigation will be conducted regarding the ride of Alpine Challenge, while trainer Narang was fined Rs 7,500 for failing to declare the alumite shoes worn by Formagear.

Several horses also exhibited physical or respiratory issues after their races, including Happy Days, Cool Cat, Royal Port Louis, Captain Arrow, and Daring Dash.

On the sporting front, Ashikule, Secret Passage, Courtly, Bounceback, Secret Oasis, Cumbre Vieja, Zil Moris, and High Key won their respective races, with a notably close finish in the seventh race between Zil Moris and Xavion.