Nicky Henderson fined £40,000 and given 3 month ban

[bigcumba]

What do you think of this decision by the BHA? Heavy handed? £40k is the biggest fine they've handed out, and a 3 month ban from entering any horse into a race is a massive blow to a succesful stable, especially given they supposedly took into account 'mitigating circumstances'. Seems to me they've gone way too far here especially considering they admit the substance given to the horse would not have enhanced it's performance anyway! I feel rather sorry for Henderson, he's one of the best and most respected trainers in the game, and this is a massive kick in the teeth.

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=racing/09/07/03/manual_104219.html

[Win2Win]

Actually they've been very lenient because of who he is. Previous folk done under this rule have all had 2-3 year bans.

The 3 months has only been given to save the BHA some face, as it only loses him summer jumps, which won't be much of a bother, and it is not even a training ban, just that he's not allowed to enter horses.

[MattR]

just that he's not allowed to enter horses.

I think you'll find that's already illegal anyway :D


It does seem kind of convenient that it should be a 3 month ban fitting in nicely with the summer jumps.

[bigcumba]

Previous folk done under this rule have all had 2-3 year bans.

Ah, I was unaware of that.... in that case I guess he has gotten off lightly in comparison though it still seems a tad harsh when it never affected the outcome of the race, and it was administered by a trusted vet. Still, we'll never know quite how the BHA come to any decisions!

[pete50]

Last season he had a total of 11 runners in this period.
"Trusted vet"!!!! - this guy is on all sorts of bodies that are meant to monitor these things and claims he did not know it was illegal!! The QC for Henderson stopped them interviewing his assistant and the vet and they let that happen.
The syncophantic press led by Charlie Brooks have tried to cover up for this cheat, and even Alastair Down who is normally better has only asked that Nicky should apologise. This is the old school closing ranks. Fair play to the investigators who couldn't have worded the report much more brazenly but then only this small fine and pathetic ban make a mockery of the report.

[Win2Win]

Cheat :doh That would mean they are doing something to enhance the horses chances, and the drug used does not improve nor decrease it's chance it just stops it bleeding to death if a blood vessel bursts. :splapme

The vet for the BHA doesn't even know why it is band, but it just is. :doh

You have to realise a hell of a lot of drugs are banned to be in a horse during a race, but it can have them any other time. Each drug has a time limit on it for the last point in time to be used before a race, however these times have never been proven in research for any of these drugs hence all the positives throughout the year. Trainers get done for this as those are the rules, banned if in the horses system during a race, no leeway, regardless of what the instructions day! :splapme