Still no answers from the BHA over Aces Full Exeter mystery - the wall of silence is a backwards step

It is striking that in the week of the most famous jumps race in the world, a Class 5 handicap chase for novices run for £9,000 at Exeter vied for the headlines with the build-up to the £1 million Grand National. It’s even more striking that the talking point of the race was a horse who didn’t even take part.

The BHA's decision to withdraw Aces Full when he was already in the parade ring at Exeter having been backed into 9-4 (from 14-1) on the day of the race was always going to cause a stir, but the lack of information as to why it had reached that decision on the day and the subsequent radio silence from the governing body unnecessarily inflamed the situation.

The only information which accompanied Aces Full's withdrawal was a note on the Exeter stewards' report reading: "At the request of the Integrity Department of the British Horseracing Authority, the connections of Aces Full were interviewed by the stewards before this race and asked to provide information regarding the selection of the race for the gelding, their expectations for today, and the riding instructions given. Following the stewards' inquiry, the horse was withdrawn, and the matter referred to the BHA Integrity Department for further investigation."