John Butler hoping to have first runners back after BHA inspection next week

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Trainer John Butler is hoping to send out runners again next week, a fortnight after being blocked by the BHA following a stable inspection that it is understood to have found inadequate facilities at his Hamilton Road yard.

The 53-year-old has made entries for Tuesday and Wednesday, and has continued to train as usual on the Jockey Club-owned grounds in Newmarket, with two of his team working on the Al Bahathri Polytrack on Wednesday.

"We aren't having any runners this week but we've made entries for next week," said Butler. "Hopefully we can get going again but it's an ongoing situation."

On February 25, six of the yard's horses due to run at Lingfield and Kempton that day, as well as at Chelmsford the following day, were declared as non-runners within a minute of each other, while his Friday and Saturday entries were not confirmed.

The six horses were listed as non-runners for the reason ‘other’. According to the BHA rules of racing, a subsequent reason must be provided when a horse does not run for this reason, which is published on the BHA stewards’ reports website.

A former assistant to Barney Curley, Butler started out on his own in 2011 and has sent out 387 winners on the Flat and over jumps in Britain. His most notable successes, from his yard at Charnwood Stables, came in 2021, when Declaring Love won a Listed contest at Bath and Farhan landed the November Handicap at Doncaster.

Butler is listed as having 55 horses in training on the BHA website including some formerly trained by the Mauritius-bound Darryll Holland. They include Rising Force and Alpine Oasis, both of whom feature among four entries made at Southwell, Newcastle and Wolverhampton next week.

According to multiple sources, an inspection of Butler’s premises this month by BHA officials found inadequate stabling facilities for horses. No concerns have been raised about the condition of the horses at the property. 

When asked about Butler's ability to make entries, a BHA spokesperson said: "The BHA does not comment on investigations, or speculation surrounding potential investigations."

Read this next:

Trainer John Butler barred from having runners by the BHA following stable inspection 

Darryll Holland to exit Britain and relaunch training operation 6,000 miles away to Indian Ocean island 

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