AFTER nearly two hours of an engaging appeal hearing at Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board headquarters, the result of the 2025 Guinness Galway Hurdle remains as it was - with an appeals panel confirming Ndaawi as the winner and determining that the raceday stewards did not err in their decision to demote Helvic Dream to second.

There were dramatic scenes at the Galway Festival 13 days ago when the stewards decided to reverse the placings of the €270,000 feature race, and the matter was finally put to bed after a lively discussion on Wednesday where countless angles and viewpoints were pored over extensively. Immediately after the panel retired to come to a verdict, there was a sense that the outcome could go either way.

Appeals body chairperson, Lady Chief Justice The Right Honourable Dame Siobhan Keegan, flanked by Nick Wachman and Dr Paddy Molony, stated that the panel “could well see why an appeal has been brought in this case”, and that each side had made “valid points”.

Noel Meade, who lodged the appeal against the stewards’ decision, had made submissions to get the call overturned on five specific grounds. On his first challenge, the panel deemed that “it would be an underestimate” to say there was minor contact in the closing stages, they felt it was “an oversimplification” to say that Ndaawi always had racing room, as had been suggested, and noted that Gordon Elliott’s performer “was forced to go off his racing course and was cramped for room close to the rail.”

On the third point raised by Meade on the topic of momentum lost, the panel agreed that they could “not discern a break in momentum as such” for Ndaawi but did accept that Jack Kennedy “could not ride to his strongest in the circumstances in which he was placed”. Meade’s fourth point suggested the matter was “a racing incident”, something panel didn’t consider due to interference being established.

Finally, the panel said they “could not be satisfied that the stewards have erred in their decision on the balance of probabilities to reverse the placings in this case.”

Keegan noted interference was “caused by Mr [Donagh] Meyler and whilst Mr Kennedy’s horse may not have obviously lost his own momentum, he was clearly significantly pressed for space so near to the rail. We accept his evidence that he was not able to ride his strongest race.”

The panel did, however, allow a refund of the €500 deposit to Meade “given the points that were made” in the case.

Speaking outside the IHRB headquarters immediately afterwards, Meade told The Irish Field: “We got a fair hearing. Everyone came to the same conclusion so we have no qualms about that. We gave it a shot.

“The only thing I regret is that there was so much in the press about it. When something is on appeal, it shouldn’t be out in the press. I’d forgive the people who were on television on the day because they didn’t know, but once it was appealed, it shouldn’t have been written about.”

Meyler and Kennedy were pressed strongly under the questioning of solicitors Kevin Power (representing team Ndaawi) and Patrick Kennedy (representing the Helvic Dream camp) respectively, while Meade and Elliott were also called on for evidence during the lengthy debate.

In advance of the hearing, some media commentators had pointed to the overhead drone shot of the closing stages as being a tough shot for Helvic Dream’s connections to overcome in their appeal, so it was interesting to note that the first-past-the-post team received late permission to have evidence heard from an architect, who is considered a drone footage expert.

The panel were encouraged on the guidance of this expert to treat the overhead footage with very little weight compared to the other camera angles on offer, citing the expert’s view that drone cameras can be “good for an overall view” for a layman but are not the optimum means of assessing specific distances between objects.

Before evidence was heard surrounding the race itself, there was also a request from the Helvic Dream team to have an appeal added to the hearing on behalf of Donagh Meyler, who was found guilty of careless riding on the day.

Riders have 48 hours to make these appeals but Meyler didn’t make any submissions to the IHRB in this timeframe, with Patrick Kenendy citing “human error” as the reason this wasn’t lodged previously. The appeals body did not allow this appeal to be heard.

On Helvic Dream, Meade added: “He’s still a great horse to have. He’s in the Ebor and I don’t think he’ll go there because the ground is too quick. There’s a chance he’ll go to the Irish Cesarewitch, but let’s hope he stays right and there’ll be other races for him.”

More coverage to follow in this weekend’s edition of The Irish Field, available online on Friday night and in shops on Saturday.