Mistaken identity: Dalgleish fined after wrong horse turns up at Catterick

It is every trainer's nightmare to head to the racecourse and find their runner is an impostor, as Keith Dalgleish found out when he presented what he thought was five-year-old L'Air Du Vent to the vet at Catterick in February.

It soon transpired that the horse in question was not L'Air Du Vent at all but another five-year-old gelding called Harry Senior, who was meant to be trained in Dorset by Colin Tizzard, more than 400 miles from Dalgleish's yard in Lanarkshire.

The case was heard by the BHA judicial panel on Monday, whose findings stated: "When the horse was scanned into the racecourse stables it became apparent the microchip number did not match the name given for the horse. When the passport markings were checked against the horse, the veterinary officer identified a number of discrepancies in the passport markings compared with the horse presented."

Colin Tizzard: trains Harry SeniorCredit: Getty Images

The mix-up, which happened when the two horses were transported over to Britain from Ireland, was confirmed when the horse in training with Tizzard was revealed as L'Air Du Vent.

The report continued: "Upon further investigation it has been established that the horse he had presented as L’Air Du Vent was in fact Harry Senior. It was confirmed that the blood sample taken from the horse presented to the veterinary officer was indeed Harry Senior, which was reported as being in training with Colin Tizzard."

The panel fined Dalgleish £750, while L'Air Du Vent has since won at Bangor for Tizzard and owners Brocade Racing.

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