Wednesday date for Pipe inquiry
Tanterari, the 10-11 favourite, left Haydock without giving a sample after finishing last of five in the Knutsford Handicap Chase.
It was the third occasion that Pipe had refused permission for his horses to go into the box, with the champion trainer citing concerns about the hygiene of the unit.
On the previous occasions the Pipe horses were tested in the racecourse stables, but the trainer was sent a letter warning that a repeat of the practice would result in further action.
The Jockey Club now hope to have a swift resolution of the issue with a disciplinary hearing pencilled in for Wednesday, though Pipe has yet to confirm his attendance.
“We have written to Mr Pipe and said we will be holding the inquiry on Wednesday and we would like him to attend, but we have not had confirmation from him yet,” said the Jockey Club’s public relations director John Maxse.
“If he is unable to make it on Wednesday for some reason, we will be looking for some kind of assurance from him that his runners will continue to go to the dope sampling unit if required.
“We wrote to him last Monday and said it was unacceptable for his horses not to go into the sampling unit and that if he continued to carry out this policy, we would have no option but to consider that those horses not being taken for testing were positive.”
“In the absence of any other information, it would be treated as a deliberate administration, for which the penalty is anywhere between £2,500 and £12,000.”
