The British Horseracing Authority has confirmed that, as disclosed in The Guardian late on Tuesday night, the trainer Alan King will face a disciplinary hearing on Thursday over a failed dope test on Yanworth, the beaten favourite in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
The BHA also revealed that the substance found in Yanworth’s system after he finished seventh at the Festival was triamcinolone acetonide (TCA), a synthetic corticosteroid with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. It can be legitimately used as a treatment on horses in training but must have cleared their system by the day of a race.
King was fined £1,000 last year after another of his horses, Midnight Cataria, tested positive for TCA having been administered with the drug by King’s vet. The hearing into the case was told that the substance would have been expected to clear the horse’s system in 21 days but had in fact persisted for 52.
The panel for Thursday’s hearing, which will hear the case in King’s absence, is the first to be convened since the introduction of a new pool of 23 potential members and chairs of disciplinary hearings. Tim Charlton QC, a veteran of disciplinary proceedings in the past, will chair the three-strong panel, alongside two new recruits to the system: Dr Lyn Griffiths, a former racecourse medical officer, and the journalist and blogger Simon Rowlands, who is also the chairman of the Horseracing Bettors Forum.
Pumblechook (7.40), a 10-1 chance at Kempton Park in Wednesday evening, deserves close consideration by punters looking for a bet on the five British cards for the day.
Roger Varian’s four-year-old Gibbs Hill heads the market here at around 7-4, having finished third in a strong race at York in May, and has winning form on an artificial surface, too. His best form, though, is on turf with a little cut in the ground and Wednesday’s contest is a competitive event, with more depth than the market may suggest.
It is possible to pick a hole in the bare form of Pumblechook’s latest 10-length success at Newmarket as his main market rival was well below form. The time of the race, though, was excellent and another step forward after a win at Leicester earlier in June. With the market focusing on a couple of his rivals, his chance of completing a hat-trick may have been underestimated.
Elsewhere on the day’s cards, Fink Hill (2.00) should take the opener at Thirsk and become the fourth horse from his debut race behind the subsequent Coventry Stakes winner Rajasinghe to record a success next time up. Wentworth Falls (3.30) is a worthy favourite on the same card, while I’vegothepower (7.30) is the value in the feature event at Bath.
Barkis (4.10) and Prettylittlething (2.50) are the picks over jumps at Perth and Worcester respectively, while the Group 3 event for fillies at Fairyhouse could also be a race of note, as victory for one of Aidan O’Brien’s two runners, Asking and Music Box, would complete a set for the trainer of at least one win in every one of Ireland’s 69 Group races.
Tips for Wednesday’s races
Thirsk: 2.00 Fink Hill, 2.30 Rockies Spirit, 3.00 Give Em A Clump, 3.30 Wentworth Falls 4.00 Kirkham 4.30 Andok 5.00 El Cap 5.30 Prazeres
Perth: 2.10 Penny Jane 2.40 Martiloo 3.10 Bell Weir 3.40 Russian Regent 4.10 Barkis 4.40 Beat That 5.10 An Fear Ciuin
Worcester: 2.20 Murray Mount 2.50 Prettylittlething 3.20 Oksana 3.50 Slim Pickens 4.20 Gibson Park 4.50 Phangio 5.20 Poetic Lady
Bath: 6.00 Pursuing The Dream 6.30 Royal Mezyan 7.00 Black Trilby 7.30 I’vegotthepower (nb) 8.00 Attain 8.30 Fanfair 9.00 Plato’s Kode
Kempton Park: 6.10 Varsovian 6.40 Billesdon Brook 7.10 Sileel 7.40 Pumblechook (nap) 8.10 Clowance One 8.40 Nuzha 9.10 Hersigh
