Shane Foley has been suspended for nine race days after Irish raceday stewards found he rode improperly on Moonlit Sun in Wednesday evening’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Naas.
The Jessica Harrington-trained filly kept the race after beating Aidan O’Brien’s White Sand Beach by a length, but the enquiry still produced a significant penalty for one of Ireland’s leading Flat riders.
According to irishracing.com’s report on the Naas stewards’ enquiry, Foley was adjudged to have breached Rule 214 after Moonlit Sun moved right in the closing stages and caused interference to Wayne Lordan’s mount.
Why the Naas result stood
The key distinction was that the stewards did not believe the interference improved Moonlit Sun’s finishing position. That meant the judge’s placings were left unchanged, with Moonlit Sun first, White Sand Beach second and Elmakaya third.
Foley told the enquiry his filly was having only her second run, that he edged into a gap and that Moonlit Sun changed her legs before rolling out. Lordan said White Sand Beach had received interference, was staying on and had been inconvenienced.
The suspension is still a sharp postscript to a productive Naas card for Foley and Harrington, who also struck earlier with Oro Blanco. Harrington indicated Moonlit Sun could now step up in trip and be aimed towards black type in fillies’ company.
