Rate it!

0 votes

Trainer Nicky Henderson has been found guilty of giving a prohibited substance to a horse owned by the Queen before a race at Huntingdon in February.

The British Horseracing Authority found Henderson guilty of administering a prohibited substance to Moonlit Path.

The mare Henderson trains for the Queen had tranexamic acid - an anti-bleeding agent - in her system for the February 19 TurfTV Mares Novices Hurdle, in which the horse finished sixth.

The trainer had admitted to three of the four charges against him, neither denying that the drug was present in the horse nor that he had kept inadequate medical records.

But he had denied any wrongdoing with regard to rule 200, which specifically covers the administration of prohibited substaces.

Having been found guilty of the offence he could face a fine of between £1,000 and £12,000 and/or disqualification of anything from one month to five years.

Henderson will have to wait for the BHA to complete their deliberations to hear if he faces a ban or will escape with just a fine, but precedent is against him: in two similar cases, trainers David Floor and Matt Gingell were each disqualified for two years.

"I am obviously very disappointed with yesterday's decision," said Henderson.

"We are now awaiting the panel's written reasons for their findings, after which we will be able to discuss further with our legal advisers."

Eurosport