I think you have uncovered the secret Kev. For more than a century we have been fooled into believing that it was hard, fast work that improved horses. We were wrong, it now appears it is light trackwork that turns slugs into stars.
I was fortunate enough more than 40 years ago to meet the late trainer J.P. (Jack) McKay at his stables. He and his brother Bill dominated trotting during the 1950s and 60s training many champions. One of Jack's anecdotes from that day is burnt into my memory. "If a horse got fit from jogging you would think the old milk-cart horse would be the the fittest horse around. But if you sprinted him up a fast quarter he'd probably have a heart attack and drop dead". Jack was renowned for working horses hard and developing staying prowess.
Messrs Gillespie, Ross and Crowther, I would imagine, would never off heard of J. P. McKay - a legend of the industry that employs them. They need to take heed of that anecdote, stop being led with improbable stories weaved by Miss French and put the trainer, Ashwood, in the stewards room as far away from the door as possible. Question him, probe and make him feel great discomfort until he put forward at least one feasible explanation.
Until stewards get serious we should file all stewards reports in the fiction section of the library. Under fairytales.