Mann loses Viss appeal

Trainer Charlie Mann lost his appeal against the Newbury stewards’ decision to fine him for not running Hoh Viss at his preferred meeting.

Mann was hit with the punishment after he doubly-declared Hoh Viss at Leicester and Newbury on November 27, stating the latter as the gelding’s first-choice destination.

Hoh Viss was subsequently rerouted to Leicester because the ground at the Berkshire track had changed to being unsuitable and he was handed a £1,200 (€2,100) fine as a consequence.

The horse had no luck at Leicester, falling at the third-last flight in the ladbrokes.com Novices’ Hurdle when odds-on and travelling strongly.

A UK Jockey Club disciplinary panel rejected Mann’s explanation he had been assured by Newbury stipendiary steward William Nunneley he would get his fine-money back on appeal.

To that end, the Jockey Club upheld Mann’s fine and ordered the deposit money to be forfeited.

“If I’d have known then what I know now I probably wouldn’t have appealed,” said Mann.

“I was trying to make a point that the rule is totally wrong. As the rule goes I was in breach of it. Quite honestly when you are in a situation where your owner wants to run, the BHB has got it wrong.

“You make a 48-hour double declaration and then the ground changed so he wasn’t going to run at Newbury. If I hadn’t have run him at Leicester then he wouldn’t have run in any case.

“What the BHB are doing are just saying if he hadn’t have run I’d have got off. And that would have been no good to anyone. The rule is wrong. I’ve tried to prove a point but it’s cost me.”