The horseracing world was in shock last night when it emerged that Nicky Henderson has been banned from racing horses for three months and fined £40,000 over the Moonlit Path case.
After being found guilty of using a banned substance on The Queen’s mare at Huntingdon in February, the National Hunt trainer attended a personal hearing on Thursday evening and learnt of his punishment on Friday morning.
It is a record fine for a British trainer and he will not be able to make any entries until October 10. The BHA panel agreed that imposing a fine was not suitable enough punishment in itself, although Henderson’s contribution to the sport was taken into consideration when the decision was made.
Public relations officer to the BHA, Paul Struthers said: "Any serious inquiry like this is very difficult for the panel. Breaches of Rule 200 are very serious, but what they have to take into account is the ways in which it can be breached.
"The treatment wasn't recorded in the horse's record-book and they concluded there was an attempt to hide the fact the horse had been given this substance. They concluded that the reason it was done was because they knew the horse shouldn't have been given it.
"They could have disqualified him - a trainer banned can't be involved in racing - but what they did was take into account Nicky's previous record. They also factored in what the substance was. Contrary to what some people believe, the panel's view is that if a horse has a tendency to bleed, it (tranexamic acid) will stop it."
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