Nicky henderson fined and banned from entering horses for 3 months

Whyno

Nicky Henderson has been fined £40,000 and is unable to make entries for three months over the Moonlit Path case.

The leading National Hunt trainer was last Monday found guilty of using a prohibited substance to improve the performance of The Queen's mare at Huntingdon in February.

Henderson attended a personal hearing on Thursday evening, when pleas of mitigation were entered to a British Horseracing Authority panel, and learned of his punishment on Friday morning.

The 58-year-old handler faced a possible disqualification from the training ranks, but will instead be unable to run any of his horses from July 11 to October 10. He has also been hit with a record fine imposed on any British trainer.

Moonlit Path finished sixth in the TurfTV Mares' Novices' Hurdle on February 19, after which she tested positive for tranexamic acid, an anti-bleeding drug, which contravened BHA Rule 200. The race was won by stablemate Ravello Bay.

Henderson had admitted to three of the four charges he faced, but denied any wrongdoing in relation to Rule 200, which governs administering or attempting to administer a prohibited substance.

Henderson has always maintained the medication was used "in the interests of the horse's welfare" - and not to improve performance. The Lambourn trainer has the right to appeal.

A BHA panel, chaired by Tim Charlton QC, concluded that disqualifying Henderson was not warranted - but also that a fine was not enough. The punishment handed out means Henderson can continue to employ his workforce, and that owners can keep their horses with them if they wish.

In making its decision, the panel also took into account various factors, including the fact the substance was administered by an experienced vet whom Henderson considered as an advisor - and also that the substance is unlikely to act as a performance enhancer.

Also considered was Henderson's contribution to the sport and his charitable activities. Henderson's £40,000 fine is twice that of the previous record penalty of £20,000 imposed on Michael Wigham in February 2008.

biomech

preventing the horse from bleeding would improve its chances in the race... a fair punishment and maybe he got off light. silly that he didnt employ other legal methods of overcoming the horses problem...

Whyno

I dont know much about what substances are allowed and not allowed but what i would say is that surely this only in the interest in the horse and its welfare.
Now the horse only finished 6th in the end.
I do feel though that rules are rules and thus they needed to be abided by and well jumps racing without Nicky Henderson well wouldnt be very good imo.

boccy23

WOW. :eek:

I had read about the case and it did seem like he had doped the horse.

But I thought being who he is and also the Queen's horse, a slap on the wrist would have been all that he would have gotten.