Cape Blanco affair didn’t have to become international incident

YOU’D imagine there will be no turkey for Aidan O’Brien this Christmas, following that ‘hefty’ fine handed down to him by the British Horseracing Authority on Wednesday.

An imposition of £10,400 sterling won’t half hit O’Brien where it hurts and it will surely be a case of bread and water, not to mention no visit from the lad with the white beard, for all at Ballydoyle over the festive period!

The more you read about the BHA’s findings the more you realise they, somehow, unnecessarily turned something which could have been managed far better into an international incident.