Lawyer refuses costs award after case is sent for rehearing

The solicitor representing Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Paul Gilligan has refused to accept the award of partial costs to his client. He continues to demand full reimbursement of the legal fees incurred before and after Gilligan's case was heard by a BHA disciplinary panel chaired by Matthew Lohn.

Gilligan, found guilty in March and suspended for six months for sending a horse who had competed at an unrecognised meeting in Ireland to race at Uttoxeter in 2014, has had an appeal against the verdict allowed because of a perception-of-bias issue raised by the discovery that Lohn had carried out other paid BHA work in addition to sitting on a disciplinary panel supposed to be independent of the regulator.

All parties agreed to have the case heard again by a new disciplinary panel, but the appeal board made an order that the BHA pay only the costs of the appeal when, in the Jim Best hearing, the BHA agreed to pay all costs incurred, including for the first hearing and appeal.