Basher Watts

Shes Perfect, demoted to second in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches earlier this season, has not completely healed from her July setback and will be rested the remainder of the year, according to Basher Watts who heads her ownership syndicate. The daughter of Sioux Nation, a debut winner at Haydock in two starts last term, was second in April's G3 Prix de la Grotte to Zarigana (Siyouni), who benefitted from Shes Perfect's disqualification in the Pouliches. The Charlie Fellowes trainee, who is nicknamed Sue, was most recently ninth in...

The Charlie Fellowes-trained Shes Perfect has suffered a setback which could potentially keep her out of action until next year. Last seen finishing down the field in the G1 Prix de Diane, Shes Perfect arrived at Chantilly having already proved herself a high-class filly, notably finishing first past the post in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, before being demoted by the ParisLongchamp stewards for causing interference to her closest pursuer, Zarigana. The G3 Valiant Stakes run at Ascot later this month had been identified as the next port of...

Charlie Fellowes could be forgiven for any lingering frustration over the events at Longchamp just over a fortnight ago. After all, there he was, poised to receive the trophy for winning his first Classic. Shes Perfect was in the winner's circle after the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the photos had been taken with her throng of happy owners. Then came the dreaded verdict.  By now, the records show that after a stewards' enquiry and subsequent unsuccessful appeal, the hampered Zarigana was the winner of the race. Who knows what...

Connections of Shes Perfect have been unsuccessful in their appeal to have the result of last week's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches overturned, meaning that Francis Graffard's Zarigana remains the winner. The Charlie Fellowes-trained Shes Perfect passed the post first at ParisLongchamp, a nose ahead of hot favourite Zarigana, but the placings were reversed after the pair came close together over a furlong out, with the French officials deciding the interference was enough to have affected the result. Zarigana's jockey Mickael Barzalona also dropped his whip in the closing stages and...

Charlie Fellowes confirmed to The Sun on Monday that connections of Shes Perfect, first past the post in yesterday's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, plan to appeal her subsequent demotion by the stewards. The daughter of Sioux Nation sparked jubilant scenes at ParisLongchamp when holding off Zarigana by a nose in Sunday's Classic, but that elation soon turned to despair for Fellowes and the almost 60 syndicate owners in attendance when the outcome of the stewards' enquiry was announced. Speaking to the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Monday, before later confirming his...

PARIS, France -- "Where's Charlie?" The reaction of Francis Graffard, looking for Charlie Fellowes to commiserate before celebrating his own good fortune in being awarded the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, spoke volumes. Not only for the decency of the winning trainer but for the extreme awkwardness surrounding the prolonged stewards' enquiry and ultimate outcome. One man's gain, another's pain. In the case of the demoted Shes Perfect it was not, however, just one man's pain. Almost 60 syndicate owners had joined manager Basher Watts on the pilgrimage to Longchamp in...

DEAUVILLE, France -- Plenty of people will be cheering on the two runners of Charlie Fellowes in the French Classics on Sunday, not least because the trainer has booked Kieran Shoemark for both horses after a tumultuous week for the jockey. But there will be one person hoping perhaps harder than any for dream results for Luther in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Shes Perfect in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and that's Will Douglass, the agent responsible for matching each horse to their respective owners. Douglass is a...