Trainer Wigham hit with record fine
Trainer Michael Wigham has been fined a record £20,000 and suspended from having runners for 35 days, while jockey Jamie Mackay has been banned for 60 days following a British Horseracing Authority inquiry.
The pair initially faced the disciplinary panel in February over the running and riding of Granakey at Kempton on January 2, with the horse’s previous outing at Wolverhampton on December 20 also coming under the microscope.
Wigham and Mackay were found guilty of contravening the ’non-triers’ rule on both occasions.
The panel also took into account the fact that Wigham had previously been found guilty of the same offence with Silver Hotspur at Newmarket in June 2007.
He was handed a £5,000 penalty on that occasion, although it was later increased to £7,500 on appeal.
BHA press officer Paul Struthers said: “The disciplinary panel informed Michael Wigham and Jamie Mackay on Friday but with all that was taking place at Cheltenham we felt it would be more prudent to issue those penalties in full on Monday, which we still intend to do, although we can confirm the penalties.”
The previous record fine handed out to a trainer was the £17,500 to David Elsworth in 1988 following the discovery of a prohibited substance in Cavvies Clown.
