Simple Verse gets Leger crown

Ralph Beckett had a smile back on his face yesterday after a “miserable 11 days” ended with Simple Verse being reinstated as the winner of this year’s Ladbrokes St Leger.

The Andover handler saw a disciplinary panel, chaired by Tim Charlton QC, at the British Horseracing Authority’s headquarters in High Holborn find in favour of reversing the stewards’ decision at Doncaster to place the Aidan O’Brien-trained Bondi Beach first in the world’s oldest Classic.

Having addressed the hearing first, Andrea Atzeni, rider of Simple Verse, admitted in his cross-examination by John Kelsey-Fry QC that he did cause the first piece of interference, just inside the two-furlong pole, but only due to the fact his mount had been lent on by Bondi Beach.