Racing: Club modify allegations in Red Lancer case

Charges brought by the Jockey Club against the trainer Shaun Keightley and jockey Pat McCabe over the running of Red Lancer have been modified and clarified. The charges, which concern the horse's performance in a seller at Wolverhampton in October 2003, also name the warned-off Christopher Coleman, his son Dean and associate Neil Yorke.

Charges brought by the Jockey Club against the trainer Shaun Keightley and jockey Pat McCabe over the running of Red Lancer have been modified and clarified. The charges, which concern the horse's performance in a seller at Wolverhampton in October 2003, also name the warned-off Christopher Coleman, his son Dean and associate Neil Yorke.

Keightley and McCabe were charged last year with breaches of the Rules of Racing regarding the running and riding of Red Lancer and their relationship with Coleman.

According to the Jockey Club, yesterday's announcement comes after further evidence was gathered for the inquiry, and in light of legal advice from counsel.

The Jockey Club now allege that prior to the race involved, Keightley either communicated information to Coleman to the effect that Red Lancer would not win or be placed, or communicated information that was not publicly available.

In doing so, the Jockey Club allege Keightley knew, or foresaw as a real possibility, that Coleman and/or his son and associate would use the information to commit a corrupt practice. That was laying Red Lancer to lose with the benefit of undisclosed inside information.

Keightley is also charged with instructing McCabe not to ride Red Lancer on its merits, endeavouring to mislead Jockey Club officials, and associating with an excluded person.

McCabe is charged with deliberately causing the horse to miss the break by either restraining him in the stalls and/or by failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures at the start to ensure the horse was given a full opportunity to obtain the best possible placing.

A preliminary hearing has been set for 29 July.