Fenton withdraws ban appeal
Fenton was found guilty of possessing anabolic steroids and other banned substances at a district court hearing in October and learned the extent of his ban at a Turf Club hearing on November 22.
The Cheltenham Festival winning handler said he would contest the decision, but he has now withdrawn his appeal, which was due to be heard on Tuesday.
A Turf Club statement read: “The Turf Club has received notification that Philip Fenton has withdrawn his appeal with regard to the ‘severity’ of the ban imposed on him by the referrals committee at a hearing on Saturday, November 22.
“The appeal hearing was to be held in the Turf Club on Tuesday, December 16.
“Philip Fenton has therefore had his licences withdrawn with effect from Wednesday, December 10 and will become a disqualified person as, and from, March 1, 2015.”
Meanwhile Free Expression will try to keep his unbeaten record intact in the inaugural running of the Grade One Lawlors Hotel Novice Hurdle at Naas on January 4.
Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old has won on each of his four starts to date and was highly impressive when successful in the Grade Two Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan last month.
“We will train him like a good horse and he has done everything that we have asked of him. He was very good when he won the last day and he has been in good shape since,” said Elliott.
“The plan is that he’ll go for the Lawlors Hotel Novice Hurdle. He won his maiden hurdle over two miles at Naas and he appreciated the step up in trip when he when he won at Navan, so two and a half miles will be fine for him. I can see him getting a bit further in time.
“It will be a good race and Naas will tell us a lot more about our horse. He is in good nick and he is a big chaser down the road.
“Whatever he does over hurdles will be a bonus, but I’d like to think that he could be a horse for one of the good staying novice hurdles in the spring.”
Willie Mullins has entered 13 including Nichols Canyon, winner of the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, Black Hercules, Douvan and Shaneshill.
Couleur France could be the pick of Noel Meade’s quartet while among other interesting possibles are Ted Walsh’s On Impulse, Sandra Hughes’ All Hell Let Loose and the Tom Mullins-trained Princely Conn.
Seven Barrows trainer Nicky Henderson has entered Vyta Du Roc, who took his 100 per cent record to four out of four in Britain with victory in the Grade Two Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown.
