Racing: McCain fined pounds 1,250 over staff wages

GINGER McCAIN, trainer of triple Grand National winner Red Rum, was fined pounds 1,250 by the Jockey Club's Disciplinary Committee yesterday for failing to pay the correct wages to stable staff.

He was found to have broken the rules in that his payments did not comply with the conditions of service laid down for stable employees, and comitted a further breach of regulations by refusing to produce his wages book at the request of one of the Jockey Club's investigating officers. The initial transgression came to light when McCain returned his 1991/92 licence application.

One of jump racing's rising talents, jockey Mick Fitzgerald, rode out his claim at Fontwell yesterday when Mandalay Prince, the odds-on favourite, provided the 55th winner of his young career in the card's claiming hurdle. While the champion conditional's title will be among Fitzgerald's targets, he is more concerned about survival at the top level. 'I live in fear of becoming another rider who drops out of sight when he loses his claim,' he said.