Freedom Falls and Ronan Whelan near side were awarded Navan maiden after enquiry. © Photo Healy Racing
Freedom Falls was subsequently awarded the Navan Adventure Centre Maiden in the stewards room having just lost out in a driving finish to the John Feane trained newcomer Lady Fox
The race itself was run at a good clip given the conditions, with Paradise Perfect setting the fractions, tracked by the eventual winner and the Feane debutant sitting third.
As the leader began to thread water over a furlong out, Freedom Falls went on under Ronan Whelan, with Hugh Horgan tracking the move on Lady Fox.
With that pair settling down for a driving finish inside the final furlong, only a head separated them at the line, with Lady Fox just edging out her Jack Davison trained rival.
However, an enquiry was subsequently called and it was later deemed that the first past the post had come over on top of the second, costing her the race. As a result, the placings were reversed.
Ronan Whelan said: “The other horse has come over and I feel that my filly has been intimidated. It’s obviously fine margins and I felt that it’s affected my position and the stewards felt the same.
“She travelled away well through the race, handled the ground and it’s nice to get a bracket for the filly.
Jack Davison said: “My initial reaction after the race was that we wouldn’t get it but when I watched the head-on I thought we’d have a chance. She’s a small filly and I feel she was intimidated and was only beaten a head.
“She had some good two-year-old form. The saddle slipped at Fairyhouse two starts ago and the last day the ground was too quick for her. Today everything was right.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee.
