Milton Harris's former assistant Tony Charlton granted licence extension for Cheltenham Festival

Tony Charlton will be permitted to saddle runners at next week's Cheltenham Festival after his temporary licence to train was extended until March 22.

Charlton's final runners will be on March 15 with an extra week granted to allow for the movement of staff and horses from one licensed yard to another before the temporary licence lapses.

The former assistant trainer to Milton Harris was granted a temporary licence on November 30 after Harris had his licence suspended pending the outcome of a licensing committee hearing, which took place in January.

Harris was deemed not to be a fit and proper person to train by the licensing committee, who found he had breached conditions on his licence on being a company director and trading in bloodstock, had intimidated and bullied fellow trainer Simon Earle and displayed "inappropriate behaviour" relating to safeguarding. The panel labelled Harris "ungovernable".

Charlton has 25-1 shot Shallow River entered in the Pertemps Network Final at Cheltenham, while Rosy Redrum and Westerninthepark have entries in the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle respectively. 

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Aja Hall, the BHA's head of regulation, said: "Following the final decision from the panel, which Mr Harris decided not to appeal, there was an application to extend [Charlton's] temporary licence. His yard have runners for Cheltenham, so we took the decision that it would be fair and reasonable for us to extend that temporary licence until March 22, 2024. 

"He will have his final runner on March 15 and then there is a further week to allow horses and staff to be moved on to other yards. We have extended it to March 22 so there is no issue with continuation of any horses wanting to enter very quickly and to have that continuation of having a licensed trainer attached to them."

Hall added: "There are a number of significant conditions attached to this licence, which I'm not going to go into detail on, but they are very strict conditions and obviously ensuring, which was the most important part of us, the safeguarding aspect that really came out of this case."

Read more: 

Milton Harris rescinds appeal against decision to remove training licence indefinitely 

Tony Charlton trains first winner since taking over the licence at Milton Harris's yard 

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