Racing: Martin Pipe was yesterday fined £7,500 by the disciplinary panel of the Jockey Club after refusing to allow Tanterari into the sampling box at Haydock Park last week. The champion trainer was also warned that any repeat of the offence could result in the suspension of his training licence.
Pipe has spoken of his fears over the risk of horses picking up infections in the sampling unit, with last Thursday's Tanterari incident being the third time in a matter of days that he had refused permission for one of his horses to go into the box.
On the previous occasions, at Sandown and Lingfield, the horses were tested in the racecourse stables. But the trainer was sent a letter by officials at the beginning of last week warning that a continuation of the policy would result in further action.
The panel yesterday considered that in a case of this nature a suitable penalty would be to invoke Rule 2(ii)(c) and refuse to accept entries and allow horses to run for a period of time and impose a financial penalty.
However, it accepted the apology from Pipe for his actions and an assurance that all his future runners would be allowed into the sampling unit if selected for an examination.
Afterwards, Pipe said: "I had a very fair hearing. They fully appreciated that I didn't enter the sampling box for the welfare of my horse. I am very, very pleased with the way it went and if this has brought a consultation about looking into the problems arising from not sterilising the sampling box before and after each horse comes in, then there is something in it."
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