Dar Re Mi was demoted from first to fifth after defeating Stacelita in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp.
Stacelita inherits Prix Vermeille victory after stewards' decision
Dar Re Mi has been demoted from first to fifth in the Qatar Prix Vermeille at Longchamp, with runner-up Stacelita declared the winner.
John Gosden's filly was first past the post but the stewards adjudged Jimmy Fortune's mount to have interfered with Soberania.
They demoted Dar Re Mi down to fifth, meaning Jean-Claude Rouget's Stacelita preserves her unbeaten record.
Dar Re Mi, who defeated Sariska in the Yorkshire Oaks on her last start, was second to the brilliant Zarkava in this race last year.
Stacelita took up the running three furlongs out and soon stretched clear but Fortune's mount launched a late challenge, swooping to the front close to home.
There did not appear to be any considerable contact with Soberania, but Dar Re Mi did briefly touch sides with the German challenger as Fortune attempted to weave a path through traffic inside the final furlong.
Unbeaten
The revised placings left Stacelita unbeaten in six races. Plumania and Board Meeting were promoted into second and third respectively.
Stacelita's owner, Martin Schwartz, said: "She'd been rested since the Prix de Diane, so she'd been off for three months and that was the furthest she'd ever ran.
"I have every belief that she'll be so much better in three weeks' time. She's been out for three months so I think she'll be a lot stronger come the Arc.
"(Jockey) Christophe (Lemaire) said she was very fresh and keen early on."
Lemaire added: "I don't want to comment on the disqualification. We were happy to be second and to be beaten by a top-class filly.
"My filly was fresh. The ground was fast and she is very comfortable on soft ground. She accelerated very well and will improve on that.
"I'm happy with the result and would say that Sea The Stars is the one to beat in the Arc."
Fairness
Madeleine Lloyd Webber, owner of Dar Re Mi, took the horse's demotion philosophically.
"The best filly had won the race and hadn't hampered the first four," she said.
"It's a shame for her record as a broodmare, and a great tragedy that she's not won the Prix Vermeille like her mother (Darara) did.
"We bring our horses here in good faith and love French racing - all we want is fairness.
"Of course we'll still come racing in France after this. At the end of the day we are sportsmen. Nobody has died, it's just a race."
