Punters hit out at a controversial decision made by the stewards following the final race on day two of Royal Ascot.
Third favourite Stunning Beauty did not come out of the stalls in the Kensington Palace Stakes, won by 12-1 shot Lola Showgirl.
TV pictures showed the 7-1 shot's loading rug still clipped in place as the runners were sent on their way.
Stunning Beauty's jockey, Silvestre de Sousa, could be heard on replays shouting “wait” to the starter.
They eventually broke free, but it was too late and the rider pulled his mount up.
De Sousa told presenter Rishi Persad: “I’m angry. I was telling the starter to wait.”
The stewards held an enquiry and deemed the filly, who was also wearing a hood in the gate, to have started.
Their report read: "The rider and the starter were interviewed and shown recordings of the start. Under Rule H(6), the Stewards only have the power to declare a horse a non-runner if it has been prevented from starting due to a faulty action of the stalls or the horse is riderless at the time the start was effected.
"As De Sousa was mounted at the time the start was effected and there was no faulty action of the starting stalls, Stunning Beauty was deemed to have started.
"The Stewards wished to continue their enquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the slow removal of the blind, but due to awaiting further footage they adjourned to 17 June 2021 at Ascot."
Firms including Ladbrokes and Coral were refunding bets on Stunning Beauty, but many punters did not get their money back.
Some vented their frustration on social media.
One wrote: "Disgraceful."
Another added: "Terrible decision. Where does that leave the jockey then???"
A third said: "He's clearly saying wait wait."
De Sousa had earlier been banned for two days for using his whip above the permitted level on Queen Power in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes.
The winner of Stunning Beauty's race, Lola Showgirl, gave jockey Laura Pearson and trainer David Loughnane their first Royal Ascot successes.
Pearson became only the fourth female rider to celebrate a triumph at the meeting, adding to Hollie Doyle's 33-1 victory on day one.
"I don’t even know what to say, it’s just quite incredible really. I never thought it would ever happen," Pearson told ITV Racing.
"It was an absolutely lovely run, she bowled out. She’s been running over seven but Mr Loughnane said she’d want every stride of the mile, and she just kept plugging on for me."
Doyle, Gay Kelleway and Hayley Turner are the other three female jockeys to have won at the top fixture.
"Hollie [Doyle] and Hayley [Turner] have completely opened the doors for the rest of us, and really allowed us to run through it and I am thankful for them," Pearson added.
Loughnane enhanced the fairytale result by also training the runner-up Ffion.
Nicola Currie could follow Pearson into the record books with success at the track on Thursday, which features Stradivarius' bid for a fourth Gold Cup.
