Milczarek wins ban appeal

Kirsty Milczarek has been successful in her appeal against a two-year riding ban imposed by the British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel in December.

She had originally been found in breach of the old Rule 201 (v), which concerned anyone who is “Guilty of or conspires with any other person for the commission of, or connives at any other person being guilty of, any corrupt or fraudulent practice in relation to racing in this or any other country”.

She had also been found in breach of former Rule 243, which concerned “Passing information for reward”, following the conclusion of a lengthy investigation into a betting ring said by the BHA to have been masterminded by two registered owners, Maurice Sines and James Crickmore.

The charges related to 10 races between January 17, 2009 and August 15, 2009.

The Appeal Board said in a statement: “The (Disciplinary) Panel’s finding that Milczarek was a party to the conspiracy cannot stand and her appeal succeeds.”

Milczarek came under scrutiny for her ride on Obe Gold at Lingfield in August 2009. She had reportedly been told the horse could be difficult in the stalls and not to take the blindfold off until the last possible moment, but the panel found that she removed it four seconds before the stalls opened.

By the time the stalls opened the horse dived to its left, slamming her shoulder into the upright, causing an injury which the disciplinary panel said would then have affected her ride.

At the original disciplinary panel hearing, she was found not guilty of a breach of Rule 157 (intentionally failing to ensure that a horse is run on its merits), but in breach of Rule 201 (v).

Milczarek’s solicitor, Christopher Stewart-Moore, said: “She’s very gratified. I think they may fast-track her licence application as obviously she has been banned for a period of time that she shouldn’t have been. She will technically have to re-apply. She was doing very well when all this happened.

“The first decision, I always felt, was utterly bizarre. I could not understand how you could find someone guilty for effectively taking a blindfold off early. By that they then connected her to people who laid the horse.”