Royal Ascot’s opening day produced both a thrilling Group 1 finish and significant fallout in the stewards’ room, with Christophe Soumillon handed an eight-day suspension after officials ruled his ride aboard Puerto Rico assisted stablemate Gstaad in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

The inquiry centred on Puerto Rico, who finished last in the feature event, and whether Soumillon’s actions compromised the chances of Power Blue while creating an advantage for Gstaad, the Aidan O’Brien-trained second favourite ridden by Ryan Moore.

Stewards reviewed footage of the incident and heard evidence from Soumillon, Moore and Power Blue rider David Egan. O’Brien was also interviewed by telephone as part of the investigation.

Officials concluded that after negotiating the home bend, Soumillon deliberately shifted Puerto Rico away from the rail. In doing so, he impeded Power Blue and opened a run on the inside for Gstaad, a move the stewards determined gave his stablemate an advantage during the closing stages of the race.

The suspension added to an eventful afternoon for the Ballydoyle operation. Earlier, Moore received a three-day careless-riding ban after stewards found he had failed to take sufficient corrective action when making contact with eventual winner Bow Echo and Talk Of New York leaving the starting stalls.

Those incidents formed part of a dramatic renewal of the St James’s Palace Stakes, which was decided only after a photo-finish between Bow Echo and Gstaad.

In the end, Bow Echo maintained his unbeaten record, prevailing by a short head for trainer George Boughey and jockey Billy Loughnane.

Loughnane said the opening stages played a crucial role in how the race unfolded. The rider explained that Bow Echo was squeezed shortly after the start, costing him valuable early position.

“The first furlong was crucial and we got squeezed out of it early. There were five of us in a line and I slightly lost my position from there on,” said Loughnane.

He noted that the colt became keen after the early interference, forcing him to focus on settling his mount before making his challenge.

“Bow Echo was then lit up and I was just trying to manage him and get him back in behind. Then Power Blue came back into our lap. That meant I had to come out and move a little bit sooner than ideal, but his guts got him through.

“He's determined to win and is blessed with a fantastic turn of foot and a lot of ability.”

While Bow Echo’s unbeaten record remained intact, the stewards’ decisions ensured the St James’s Palace Stakes will be remembered as much for its post-race scrutiny as its narrow finish.