Campanelle Awarded Commonwealth Cup Via DQ

ASCOT, BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND – Controversy struck at Ascot Racecourse after the stewards awarded Stonestreet Stables’ Campanelle victory in Friday’s Commonwealth Cup (G1) after ruling that original winner Dragon Symbol cost Campanelle a fair chance after bumping and herding that rival for much of the final furlong.

Campanelle (the 5/1 third choice stateside) and Dragon Symbol (the 7/2 second option) engaged each other on the front end with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and quickly separated themselves from the field. However, jockey Oisin Murphy was unable to prevent Dragon Symbol from interfering with Campanelle and rider Frankie Dettori before crossing a head clear for the 6-furlong sprint over heavy going restricted to 3-year-old fillies.

“It is never nice winning a race in the stewards’ room,” Dettori said. “I feel sorry for Dragon Symbol’s connections that I took it off them, but in these conditions, when you are taken across about 8 lanes, I got nudged 3 times, lost my momentum, and got beaten a head, so the stewards felt they gave me the benefit of the doubt.”

A Wesley Ward-trained daughter of Kodiac, Campanelle won her fourth try from 5 career starts, a mark that includes taking the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at the 2020 Royal Ascot meet in Dettori’s first start aboard.

The duo were 5 lengths clear of Measure Of Magic, who took third over Dandalla. Completing the order of finish came Laws Of Indices, Mooneista, The Lir Jet, Suesa (the 2/1 favorite), Isabella Giles, Happy Romance, A Case Of You, Jumby, Mighty Gurkha, Lipizzaner, and Fivethousandtoone.

Diligent Harry, Method, Miss Amulet, Sacred, Saint Lawrence, and Supremacy scratched.

Campanelle returned $12.40 to win and $3.40 to place. Dragon Symbol brought back $3 to place. Measure Of Magic paid $5.20 to place. Dandalla paid $9.20 to place.