Horse Racing: The most high-profile Turf Club appeal hearing for years is likely to be held in two weeks' time after the connections of Falbrav yesterday lodged an appeal against the Leopardstown stewards' decision not to reverse the placings in Saturday's controversial Irish Champion Stakes.

The appeal was lodged by both Falbrav's trainer, Luca Cumani, and the horse's Italian-based owners, Scuderia Rencati.

Cumani said yesterday: "The grounds for the appeal are that we feel there is sufficient evidence to say that we were impeded from winning. It's regrettable this has happened but we feel we are the innocent party."

The Champion Stakes, a €1 million Group One contest, and part of racing's world series, is one of the calendar's most prestigious events and attracted what was widely regarded as the best field of racehorses so far in 2003.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained winner High Chaparral beat Falbrav by a neck but afterwards there was a stewards' enquiry into possible interference by High Chaparral inside the final furlong. Falbrav's jockey Darryll Holland also lodged an objection to the winner for intimidation in the closing stages but no change in the placings was made.

Holland said afterwards: "I never like to get races in the stewards' room but I think I should have got this one."

Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan said of the appeal: "It was a Group One race and they obviously feel the stewards reached the wrong decision.

"We would hope to hold the appeal as soon as possible but there are likely to be logistical problems in setting it up. We will need the first three or four jockeys in the race and some of those are not based in Ireland.

"I can't see it happening this week and I would imagine it is unlikely to be next week either. But I would hope something can be arranged for the following week."

The Turf Club's appeals system was in the headlines earlier this year in the case of the steeplechaser David's Lad, one of the favourites for the Aintree Grand National, who was stopped from running in the famous race after a ban.

However, in terms of prestige and prize money (Saturday's first prize was worth €589,000 with €189,000 to the second) the Champion Stakes is in a different league, especially with the added factor of possible increased stud value for the winner.

The appeal for a major Irish Group One prize by a British-based trainer will also evoke memories of the 1981 Irish 2,000 Guineas. On that occasion the Vincent O'Brien-trained Kings Lake beat English runner To Agori Mou only to be disqualified by the course stewards. However, on appeal to the Turf Club, the Irish horse was reinstated.

The move generated considerable criticism and the bad feeling continued to Royal Ascot a month later where To Agori Mou beat Kings Lake in the St James's Palace Stakes. To Agori Mou's jockey Greville Starkey was seen to give Pat Eddery on Kings Lake a two-fingered salute as they went by the finishing post.

The immediate problem for the Turf Club now is to organise the timing so that the jockeys involved in the Champion Stakes can attend the hearing.

High Chaparral's rider Michael Kinane and John Murtagh, who rode Alamshar to fourth, live in Ireland but Holland and Kieren Fallon, who rode third-placed Islington, are based in Britain.

Moon Ballad, who finished two lengths off the winner, was ridden by Frankie Dettori, who could also be required to attend.

Immediately after the race Kinane said: "My horse did roll a bit but as far as I'm concerned there was always room on my inner the second horse. The problems Falbrav had through the race had really nothing to do with me."

However, this looks like being one horse race that will continue to run and run.

Racing: Page 4