Horse Racing: Guest Admits Animal Cruelty

Richard Guest, the Grand National-winning jockey turned trainer, yesterday admitted animal cruelty following the death of a horse which was incorrectly treated under his care at his County Durham stables. Guest was conditionally discharged for two years at the end of a case which was brought by the RSPCA.

Guest now faces censure from the Horseracing Regulatory Authority following yesterday's court case, but is unlikely to lose his trainer's licence. "We will obtain a certificate of conviction from the court and once that's been received our disciplinary department will decide whether they need to convene a hearing, although it's almost certain there will be one," said the HRA's public relations manager, Paul Struthers.

"Given the comments of the deputy district judge, such a hearing is likely to result in a financial penalty as opposed to the withdrawal of Richard Guest's licence."

Guest admitted a charge of permitting the horse, What's A Filly, to suffer unnecessarily by failing to exercise reasonable care and supervision. What's A Filly had to be put down after she developed a severe infection in her left hind leg. Guest's head lad Richard Dalton, 41, and head girl Louise Tidman, 34, also admitted omitting to provide veterinary care.

Guest declined to comment as he left court, apart from to say he was "pleased". But this is another blow to the career of the former jockey who steered Red Marauder to victory in the 2001 Grand National. The adverse publicity surrounding yesterday's pending trial led to Guest relinquishing control of his Brancepeth Manor yard, where he is now in the position of employed trainer.

Numerous run-ins with racing authorities saw Guest temporarily quit the saddle three years before his Grand National win. His progress was rapid once switching to training, but Guest suffered a major blow when his main backer, the owner Paul Beck, withdrew 17 horses at the end of 2005, citing poor performances over the previous six months.

One of the horses Beck left with Guest, the hurdler Sobers, is at the centre of an investigation by the security department of the HRA following a race at Ayr in March. Guest appealed against a fine for the horse not running on its merits, an appeal which is on hold while the HRA investigates unusual betting patterns surrounding the race. Sobers, having his first race for the trainer Nick Gifford, won in Beck's colours at Folkestone yesterday.

Guest was ordered to pay £4,730 costs yesterday, but Judge Mary Hayes said mitigating evidence that the Brancepeth Manor yard was well-run made her think again about community punishment. "I do not find there was any callous disregard for the welfare of that animal," she said. "There is nothing to suggest that."

Meanwhile, the jockey Fran Ferris faces the appeal board of the HRA today to contest the decision to withdraw his licence. The licensing committee concluded Ferris was not "a fit and proper person" to hold a licence following a hearing into the jockey's personal conduct.

Ron Cox's tip of the day


Kinburn 2.20 Hexham

Though he has to give weight all round, Kinburn brings a touch of class to this 4m chase. The stamina test should be ideal for Howard Johnson's chaser, who won all his three starts last season and made a highly promising return to action when 3l second behind Too Forward over 2m4f at Wetherby. He finished 14l clear of the third horse but runs off a mark just 1lb higher here.