++ PRESS RELEASE ++
05.03.05

NEWS ON TURFCALL
www.turfcall.co.uk
Views and News of British Horseracing

Martin Pipe and Tanterari 's safety and welfare rated as of no account by the British Jockey Club Regulators, the Haydock Racecourse and the Jockey Club Veterinary.

Martin Pipe was put in a position of having to take a stand with Tanterari at Haydock on 24.02.05 over unacceptably poor standards of care at this racecourse. Pipe acting spontaneous (the only thing that he could do at the time) over what he found quite rightly to be an unacceptable risk to Tanterari welfare.

Surely the duties of the Regulators of British horseracing should have been to call an inquiry involving all parties concerned:

1. Jockey Club veterinary director Mr Webbon.
2. Haydock Racecourse management personnel.
3. The Racecourse Association
4. Martin Pipe
5. Henrietta Knight
6. Harvey Smith
7. Rimmel
8. Richard Lee

At that inquiry the following three parties would have shown some degree of fault in varying degrees or

of negligence and dangerous working practices:

1. Jockey Club veterinary director Mr Webbon
2. Haydock Racecourse management personnel
3. The Racecourse Association

Seb Vance reported in the Racing Post on 3.3.05 quoted Pipe as saying (Mr Webbon has agreed to have an all-party consultation with the National Trainers Federation into the problems arising from the sampling unit so I am happy in that respect). Surely this is not a matter for Mr Webbon he is one of the guilty parties here.

Haydock racecourse should receive a fine and a warning from the JC and rectify all sub standard facilities within a set time, if not, then their licence should be suspended until such time as they are compile.

The Racecourse Association should receive a warning and a fine from the JC to rectify all sub standard facilities on racecourses. All racecourses who fail to comply to have their licences suspended until they do.

Further more special attention needs to be made to the Safety and welfare facilities on racecourses to ensure that the needs of those who work at the dangerous sharp end. Including the horses, are made safe and properly maintained to an acceptable standard.

Taking into consideration the fining Martin Pipe £7,500. The JC further bullied an apology from him with threats that further harsh action would be taken against him.

Instead the JC should fine against both Mr Webbon and the Haydock Racecourse. For failing to ensure safe and reliable facilities for. Also compensation should be paid to Martin Pipe but also to the handler/rider who presented Tanterari to the public at Haydock, and to the owner of Tanterari.

Further JC regulators should make a public apology to Martin Pipe, and admit that they have got this one wrong.

The issue here is the JC regulators either act and get back on track or stand down and help to ensure to provide a fair balanced level playing field.

But of course until the rest of Racing makes their voices heard none of this will happen.