Frankie Dettori had a nightmare at Royal Ascot when his horse could not see the start of a race.
Lord North was settled into the stalls wearing a blindfold just moments before the Prince Of Wales's Stakes.
The event, worth £599,708 to the winner, was the feature contest on day two of the prestigious fixture.
But Dettori's chance of winning all but went the moment the runners were sent on their way.
Flat racing's most famous current jockey struggled to remove the headgear from his horse.
Close-up footage from ITV Racing showed how Dettori went to quickly pull the blindfold off as he anticipated Lord North galloping away with the others.
However it would not budge and it took him two more attempts to remove it.
Lord North left his stall to chase his four rivals. led by the eventual winner State Of Rest (5-1).
Dettori's mount, who took the 2020 renewal, gained a place half a mile from the finish but his effort to catch up cost him.
The six-year-old gelding weakened inside the final two furlongs and was eased up the final camber.
Explaining what happened, ITV Racing pundit Jason Weaver said: "He (Dettori) had his hand up on the blind, he goes to pull it and of course sometimes it's tucked into the cheekpieces of the horse's bridle. It has not come off and when it does, it's all too late. Obviously the horse can't see the gates opening. That's an absolute shocker."
A stewards enquiry was held to consider the circumstances of what happened.
Their report read: "Dettori's explanation that the blind had got caught in the bridle, resulting in him taking a number of attempts to remove it was noted."
At the business end of the race, State Of Rest added to victories in Ireland, Australia, America and France with a brave display.
It was a memorable moment for jockey Shane Crosse and trainer Joseph O'Brien, who were in the winners' enclosure for the first time at the meeting.
“It's very special," said O'Brien, whose Royal Ascot tally reached six in the saddle.
"This is what it is all about. We love the game, we are born and bred into the game. It is all we know. To have a big winner here is what we do it for.”
Crosse added: "To get here and participate is a huge thing. To ride a horse like this in top-class races is a dream. You cannot describe it."
Dettori drew a blank in the remaining races on Wednesday, as three favourites and a joint market leader took their place on the scoresheet.
He will be aboard fans' favourite Stradivarius in the big race of the week, the Gold Cup, on Thursday, plus the Queen's Reach For The Moon.
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