Trainer's licence at risk in row over wrong horse

Racing's battered image suffered another serious blow from within today with the news that controversial trainer Charlie Mann sent out a horse which broke both front legs in a race it should never even have been running in.

Mann faces a massive fine and possibly even the suspension of his training licence after Trump Card ran instead of stablemate Investment Force at Plumpton ten days ago.

Investment Force had won his last race, but Trump Card had shown relatively little form over hurdles and had to be destroyed after breaking down badly. Mann's blunder cost thousands of punters their money on a horse who was sent off 8-1 third favourite, while a retired 71-year-old Welsh miner stood to win over £122,000 on Investment Force having selected the gelding in a bid to land the Tote's Scoop6 bonus fund.

Mann's defence before a Jockey Club hearing will centre around his assertion that Trump Card ended up being sent to Plumpton after one of his stable staff loaded the gelding into the horsebox instead of Investment Force after both horses had spent time on his horsewalker.

He said: "My travelling head girl Chrissy Barnard is very experienced but didn't spot it. Nor did his rider Noel Fehily or any of the six owners in the paddock before the race.

"It's all very unfortunate, but there was no question of us trying to pull any strokes and we weren't trying to mislead anybody."

But that is not the most likely way the Jockey Club will view the episode, especially as this was the third time in as many years that Mann has sent the wrong horse to the races.