I’M feeling sorry for American-based jockey Luis Saez.

The 27-year-old rider, from Panama, had what might be called a day to remember and forget all wrapped up into one on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.

Luis was riding the favourite Maximum Security in the most iconic horse race in America, the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, worth £1.5m to the winning owner (with a handsome percentage to the successful jockey).

In a race run in very muddy conditions in front of more than 150,000 spectators, Maximum Security made virtually all of the running and won.

But that’s when the drama started.

Two jockeys objected to the result because Maximum Security moved to the right as the runners headed into the home straight. This caused interference to some of the other horses with one rider taking precautionary action to avoid serious contact.

It’s the sort of bustling and jostling that happens on a regular basis during races in the UK and can lead to a jockey being (possibly) reprimanded.

It’s very unusual for more serious action to be taken by the stewards (the race referees).

The trouble is that in the USA, the rules are different and such incidents can result in the race result being reviewed and possibly amended on the day.

And for the first time in the 145-year history of the Kentucky Derby that’s what happened.

Maximum Security was disqualified and the 65-1 runner-up Country House was awarded the race.

Luis Saez, the horse’s trainer Jason Service and owner Gary West had their jubilant celebrations dramatically cut short.

I started this column saying I was feeling sorry for Luis but having just seen that he’s won more than 100 million dollars in prize money in his career, it’s fair to say he’s earned a great living.

But imagine the emotion for winning one of the biggest sporting events in the USA and then having the prize cruelly taken from your grasp. A tough day at the office.

The story was so big that even President Trump took to Twitter to have his say. He said, ‘only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur – the best horse did not win the Kentucky Derby, not even close!’

It was announced on Sunday evening that Maximum Security’s owner is going to appeal against the decision so the drama was due to continue into this week.

Closer to home the next two meetings at Chepstow are on Tuesday, 14th May and Thursday, 23rd May. We then have our first music race night of the summer when Madness play after racing on Saturday, 8th June.