Ballydoyle team face inquiry

Aidan O’Brien and Colm O’Donoghue will on Thursday face the disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority over a possible breach of the “team tactics” rules in last month’s Juddmonte International Stakes.

O’Donoghue was riding the pacemaker Red Rock Canyon in the Group One event and the BHA will look into whether he moved off the rail purposefully to help Johnny Murtagh and stablemate Duke Of Marmalade take the gap and eventually win the race.

He could be found in breach of rule 153(iv)(a) “by making a manoeuvre in the interests of a horse from the same stable.”

O’Brien could fall foul of Rule 153(vi) “in that the trainer of a horse whose rider found in breach of Rule 153(iv) is deemed guilty of an offence unless he is able to satisfy the stewards that he instructed his rider to treat every other horse in the race without favour.”

The panel will also consider whether or not Murtagh has committed a breach of Rule 220(i) or 220(iii), in that he “instructed, directed or encouraged Mr O’Donoghue to ride in the way he did.”