An enquiry was held into the running and riding of Pagero (FR), ridden by Richie McLernon and trained by Jonjo O’Neill which lost ground a mile from home before staying on to finish third, beaten 8 lengths.

The rider was interviewed and shown recordings of the race.

The rider stated his instructions were to get the gelding settled, get him jumping and do the best he could.

However, the gelding had jumped awkwardly over the first few hurdles, which he had reported when returning to weigh in.

He explained that the gelding had jumped better towards the end of the race which allowed him to get into a challenging position at the second last hurdle.

However, he added that the gelding was one paced from the second last and he was unable to improve his position, he further added that the high head carriage was normal for the gelding.

The Veterinary Officer reported that a post-race examination of the gelding during routine testing failed to reveal any abnormalities.

McLernon’s explanation was noted.

Following the race, the Veterinary Officer reported that Liva (IRE), placed fourth, had lost its left fore shoe.