O'Brien hearing adjourned

A British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing into whether Aidan O’Brien breached the Rules of Racing following the running of Cape Blanco in the Dante at York in May has been adjourned.

The Ballydoyle handler was charged with encouraging or causing his employee Pat Keating to refuse to comply with two instructions given by the stewards following the colt’s victory over subsequent Derby winner Workforce.

The first was that Cape Blanco be trotted up before the BHA vet and the senior racecourse vet as part of their examination of the colt prior to leaving the racecourse, and the second was an instruction to attend a stewards’ inquiry into the refusal.

O’Brien was also charged with acting in a manner prejudicial to the conduct and/or good reputation of racing.

Keating was charged with two breaches of the Rules over his failure to comply with the instructions.

A date for the hearing to reconvene has yet to be announced.

At the hearing, O’Brien admitted breaking two rules, but denied being in breach of the rule concerning acting in a manner prejudicial to the conduct and/or good reputation of horseracing in Great Britain.

The panel heard legal submissions and having concluded that they should inquire into the refusal to allow Cape Blanco to be examined, the hearing was adjourned for the consideration of that charge until a future date to be arranged.