There was a dramatic end to Sunday's proceedings at Leopardstown as jockey Stephen Connor appeared to mistake the winning line and threw away what looked like certain victory.
Connor's mount Royal Hillsborough (9/1 SP) traded at the minimum price of 1.01 for several thousand pounds on the Betfair Exchange after battling back to lead in the closing stages of the Grade 2 Coolmore N.H. Sires Los Angeles Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race, only for the jockey to sit up and stop riding at the 50-yard marker.
That allowed Moonverrin, a 20/1 chance in the hands of Finian Maguire, to come back and claim a short-head victory as they passed the actual winning line.
A report on the IHRB website stated: "Mr S. Connor, rider of Royal Hillsborough, trained by S.R.B. Crawford, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that he misjudged the winning post."
Amateur rider Connor was handed a 14-day suspension for the infringement.
Gary O'Brien and @Ruby_Walsh try and make sense of what happened in the closing stages of the finale at Leopardstown.#DRF pic.twitter.com/jASUSVTS39
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 1, 2026
Winning jockey Maguire said on Racing TV: "She was very tough. Martin (Hassett), the trainer, was very sweet on her, he thought she was overpriced and he was quite confident; it's unbelievable to get the winner. Jumped off handy, was following John Gleeson and as we were going down the back I was struggling, I wasn't travelling that well. I had a decision to make, do I force her to keep my position and burn petrol or just let her slide back and hope that giving her a chance would see her coming home well so I decided to take back because I didn't see the point in burning petrol when there was still a mile to go.
"She came alive into the straight. He told me she wouldn't do much in front and he was right. I thought I was sitting into the wings of the last and it was getting to the point where if I kept sitting I was going to slow her down so I said we'll keep the momentum and go but she really parked when she hit the front. Once the horse has challenged on her inside, she's really picked up again; I would have been kicking myself if I hadn't got up but we got back up."
On whether he was aware of how events unfolded on his inside, he added: "No. I wasn't fully aware. I sensed something might of happened without really knowing. I wasn't fully aware."
Hassett said: "I saw it all but don't ask me what happened!
"I thought down the back she wasn't travelling, then she came on the bridle. My nephew Michael rang Finny this morning, he rides him at home and he knows him, and said 'if you get beat on the line for coming too late, we'll say nothing'. Because when she hits the front, she just stops.
"It's extra special because I worked 36 years in Coolmore, I left the job a couple of weeks ago to concentrate on the training, we've 24 horses in, so the boss is still giving me money even though I'm not working for him so thanks to the boss for sponsoring the race!"
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