Roberts handed four-year ban

Trainer Craig Roberts has been banned for four years following a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing today.

The Newport handler admitted to having "failed to conduct his business of training racehorses to the standard expected from a licensed person" after two unannounced inspections of his premises in the early part of this year.

He also admitted another breach of the rules in that "the horses were in such poor physical condition so as to suggest that Roberts was not promoting the welfare of the horses to the extent reasonably expected of a licensed trainer".

Roberts' suspension runs from November 8, 2010, to November 7, 2014, inclusive.