Crackdown: BHA axes self-cert ability for 13 trainers after too many non-runners

The BHA has informed 13 trainers that they will not be able to self-certify their runners for 12 months after their non-runner rates operated above a set threshold for the last year.

George Baker, Harry Dunlop and Richard Guest are among the 13 who will not be able to issue self-certificates as they all exceeded the 14 per cent threshold which had been set since last April.

In August 2017 trainers were informed they had to ensure their non-runner rates fell below 14 per cent – double the average non-runner rate – but the 13 trainers concerned failed to meet the criterion.

No jump trainers are operating above the current threshold of 12 per cent, which is to be reduced to ten per cent from the end of June.

Commenting on the move, BHA chief operating officer Richard Wayman said: "It is essential that we take these steps to reduce the number of non-runners. They are not good for our sport, its fans or its participants.

"All of the bodies who took part in the recent review agreed that we should do this by targeting those trainers who are consistently generating a high rate of non-runners, rather than putting in place measures that unfairly affect or restrict those trainers who operate within the spirit of the rules.

"What the data has shown is that the vast majority of trainers are able to operate well beneath the thresholds without any issue."

SUSPENDED FROM SELF-CERTIFYING

Non-runners down in 2018

All the affected trainers have 14 days to query the BHA's data, but it is not a formal appeal process. They will only have the ability to self-certify reinstated if the data is proved to be inaccurate.

The removal of the ability to self-certify was a recommendation that came from the BHA's review into non-runner rates. Early indications are that the review has had a positive effect.

Overall non-runners have reduced 14 per cent to 5.7 per cent of declarations (from 6.6 per cent) for the first three months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

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