CHRISTOPHE Soumillon will have to wait until Thursday of next week to learn whether his appeal against a ‘team tactics’ riding charge is successful, with the world-renowned jockey launching a staunch defence yesterday of his ride on Puerto Rico in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

The French-based Belgian rider was handed an eight-day suspension by the Royal Ascot stewards last week when his Aidan O’Brien-trained mount appeared to lean away from the running rail at the top of the straight, leaving ample room for stablemate Gstaad to make his challenge down the inner.

However, the 45-year-old stood over his actions passionately in an extended appeal hearing that ran longer than anticipated.

Soumillon insisted that he had not been instructed to ride in any sort of manner that would help Gstaad, and went as far as to say he had never been accused of such an action before in his lengthy career.

He felt that Puerto Rico’s heels had been clipped by Talk Of New York from behind in the early stages, causing the colt to run keen. Soumillon then looked behind a few strides later. Over-racing was said to be a factor in the dual Group 1 winner making a noise in-running, though Soumillon didn’t report this to the stewards as he was seemingly unaware of his obligation to report such issues in Britain.

Soumillon said there was already room for Gstaad on his inner before the turn for home, a point contested by the defence, and that he kept off the very inside of the straight due to believing there was quicker ground away from the rail.

He said that he stayed on his line turning in and felt interference from David Egan on his outer aboard Power Blue.

“Mr Egan pushed my horse in and at that point, what should I do? Allow him to bring me until to the rail?” said Soumillon.

“There is a rule in racing that is worldwide: when you arrive in the straight, you have to go straight and you don’t have to interfere with anyone. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen. I did my best to go straight and didn’t whip my horse. He ran flat and made bit of a noise, which he never had before… I ride in the UK a few times a season, but rules are different in any country.

“After the race, when I am frustrated, I spoke with the trainers, the owners and said what I felt. When I came back [to the weighing room], the only thing I heard was ‘we’re just weighing the first four - you can go to the jockeys’ room.’”

He added: “For me, Mr Egan, for sure, gave me many bumps in the race, but they wouldn’t change anything about it [the result]. Then when they called us in, I explained exactly what happened and told the stewards Mr Egan bumped me on many occasions. And he shouldn’t do it… If he wants to go to the fence and in front, he should go even faster.”

Soumillon also said he spotted a group of kids inside the rail approaching the straight when walking the course and felt he should “maybe stay a little bit away from there.”