'Doping' trial starts

Five men appeared in court yesterday accused of conspiring to defraud bookmakers by doping racehorses. The five are Raymond Butler, 52, of Cricklewood Broadway, north west London; Adam Hodgson, 37, of Laurell Avenue, Langley, Slough, Berkshire; Jason Moore, 30, of Sands Way, Woodford Green, Essex; John Matthews, 36, of Beaumont Court, Post Office Lane, Slough, and Glen Gill, 34, of Highlands Road, Fareham, Hampshire.

Five men appeared in court yesterday accused of conspiring to defraud bookmakers by doping racehorses. The five are Raymond Butler, 52, of Cricklewood Broadway, north west London; Adam Hodgson, 37, of Laurell Avenue, Langley, Slough, Berkshire; Jason Moore, 30, of Sands Way, Woodford Green, Essex; John Matthews, 36, of Beaumont Court, Post Office Lane, Slough, and Glen Gill, 34, of Highlands Road, Fareham, Hampshire.

All deny one count of conspiring together and with others between 1 March, 1997 and 1 April, 1997 "to defraud such bookmakers and persons who might be caused loss by the interference with the fair running of horses in horse races by the administration of a performance-inhibiting drug to horses running in the said races".

The trial at London's Southwark Crown Court is listed for four weeks.

Although the jury will be selected today, it is not expected that Richard Whittam, prosecuting, will open the Crown's case until tomorrow.