Pipe fined over Silk sample

Martin Pipe, the champion National Hunt trainer, yesterday lost one of the 177 winners he churned out during the 1995-96 season.

Pipe, who landed the title for the sixth time when the season drew to a lose earlier this month, was also fined pounds 350 by the Jockey Club after an inquiry found that a sample taken from Hamilton Silk, who scored at Chepstow in March, contained procaine, a prohibited substance.

The source of the substance, a course of three injections of Ethacilin administered by Pipe's vet on 27, 28 and 29 February, was entirely unsinister, but the Jockey Club's rules had been broken and the race was awarded to the Stan Mellor-trained Shepherds Rest.