Racing: Club to investigate farrier

The investigation into the running of Hillside Girl at Carlisle in June has taken a further step as the farrier to the Alan Berry stable, Steve O'Sullivan, is to face a Jockey Club disciplinary hearing this month.

The filly, trained by Berry, drifted alarmingly on the betting exchanges prior to a novice auction stakes. She subsequently missed the break and was pulled up lame.

John Maxse, the Jockey Club's public-relations director, said: "The panel will consider whether O'Sullivan is in breach of the rules of racing in respect of his refusal to supply the Jockey Club with information relating to his betting accounts and telephone records which were thought to be relevant to the security department's enquiry into the running of Hillside Girl at Carlisle on 15 June and other races in preceding months.

The running of Hillside Girl preceded the implementation of an agreement between betting exchanges and the Jockey Club by one day. Under the agreement, the exchanges provide the Jockey Club with access to betting information, including the identity of individuals, on races that are the subject of concern.

O'Sullivan was registered as one of Berry's stable employees until 15 July, and is thus subject to the rules of racing.

Racing in brief: Treble for Dettori

* Frankie Dettori is 11 short of a century of winners after completing a 59-1 treble on Dumfries, Rules For Jokers and Boston Lodge at Pontefract. "I would love to get to 100 again," Dettori said. "I haven't done it for a few years now, but it would be the 10th time in all."

* Benny The Dip, the 1997 Derby winner, has been put down after fracturing his knee in an accident at Rathbarry Stud in Ireland. The nine-year-old had been at Rathbarry for only two weeks after being purchased from Cheveley Park Stud.

* Beef Or Salmon, winner of last season's Ericsson Chase and Hennessy Gold Cup, may return to the track in Sunday's Irish Cesarewitch.

* Tony McCoy narrowed Richard Johnson's lead in the jockeys' table to 17 with a treble at Plumpton yesterday.