Cheltenham Festival: Dashel Drasher’s side appeal against Stayers’ Hurdle demotion to third place | Race News

Dashel Drasher’s connections have appealed in a bid to overturn their demotion to third place in Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Jeremy Scott’s stable and enduring stalwart almost pulled off a shock on day three, leading to the final flight before being rolled up by Sire Des Berlais in a thrilling three-way finish – beaten three-quarters of a length with another neck back for Teahupoo in third.

However, Dashel Drasher’s rider Rex Dingle allowed his mount to drift slightly left on the final flight and was judged by the stewards to have caused enough interference to deprive Gordon Elliott of second place 9/4 favorite.

The Holworthy Farm manager left Prestbury Park frustrated but proud of the 10-year-old boy, who is currently recharging his batteries ahead of further efforts this spring.

“We have appealed,” Scott confirmed. “He is doing very well, he has come out of the race very well and the options are open – it would be nice to give him another race this season.

“I felt that if we had had a bit better preparation he could have raced even better (at the Stayers), but he made us proud and he performed remarkably well.”

Options for that other outing include Aintree’s Liverpool Hurdle (April 15) and the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown Festival (April 27) and while a trip to Merseyside might come too soon for Scott’s stable stalwart, this would open up the possibility of a daring double involving the French Hurdle Champion at Auteuil on May 20.

“He should absolutely sing to go to Aintree,” Scott continued. “It would be the least likely that I would have thought, but he seems to have come out of the race very well, so I wouldn’t totally rule that out actually.

“Punchestown is one of my favorite trips, so I would love to go there with him if I could.

“Normally it tells you when it’s ready to race and I was quite surprised at how well it did. If you’re really greedy you can do something like Aintree and then put it away and go in France if you wanted a happy , so I guess all options are open.”