Aidan O'Brien team face stewards over tactics

Aidan O'Brien and his three jockeys were all called in by the stewards at Flemington Park to explain their rides after a distastrous Melbourne Cup for the Ballydoyle team, writes Paul Fielder.

They had been warned about team tactics by Racing Victoria's stewards in the lead-up to the race and, after setting off at a suicidal pace which would not have been in the interests of securing the best possible finishing positions, Johnny Murtagh (Septimus), Wayne Lordan (Alessandro Volta) and Colm O'Donoghue (Honolulu) were all summoned to appear with O'Brien before the stewards.

Murtagh and O'Donoghue have previous when it comes to team tactics. The pair were found guilty by the British Horseracing Authority after Murtagh on Duke Of Marmalade won the Juddmonte International at Newmarket in August.

However, their tactics in Melbourne backfired with the trio filling three of the final four positions.

O'Brien, who appeared to blame himself, said: "Perhaps we brought the wrong horses, perhaps we should have given them prep runs over here."

Murtagh refused to blame the breakneck pace for Septimus's defeat. He said: "He might not be the horse for the race. When they got into the straight he just stopped. He was basically too slow."