AN ‘extraordinary’ Royal Ascot row has broken out – after a jockey slated his own jockey over a ‘terrible’ ride.
French handler Jerome Reynier was absolutely furious with US-based jockey Flavien Prat’s effort on Facteur Cheval in Wednesday’s Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
The six-year-old gelding, who has won almost £4million in his brilliant career, was sent off 25-1 for the 1m2f contest.
But his trainer believed those odds were nowhere near a true reflection of his ability.
And he clearly thought that the horse had a chance if Prat followed his instructions.
However, that all appeared to go out the window early when Facteur Cheval chased breakneck 100-1 pace-setter Continuous.
Facteur Cheval was later dropped back but unsurprisingly ran out of gas and finished a limp sixth of eight behind superstar winner Ombudsman.
Reynier, still seething when speaking to the media days later, hit out at Prat’s tactics – which, despite the disastrous effort, still netted the horse’s owners £14,000.
He said: “He (the horse) has come out of the race well, despite his jockey doing absolutely nothing to help him.
“I think it was perhaps the worst ride given to one of my horses since I became a trainer.
“In a race with loads of pace, he elected to lead the chase [of the pacemaker].
“He was the first to commit on the turn for home and launched his attack three wide with no cover and too far out.
“He thought he was at Santa Anita or Del Mar where they have short straights and the tracks are flat.
“And I don’t think it was a judicious move to use a jockey who rides in that style.
“It was just a terrible ride.”
French-bron Prat is one of America’s top jockeys and had amassed prize money earnings there of more than £11m this calendar year alone.
Over the course of his career in the States, Prat has recorded 1,995 wins and earned more than £150m in winnings.
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