BHA inquiry: Robbie Dunne charged with hiding lead in breeches before weigh-in

Jockey Robbie Dunne will face a BHA disciplinary panel hearing on Thursday, having been charged with taking a piece of lead from a stable employee prior to the weigh-in after a race he won at Chepstow in 2017 and hiding it in his breeches.

The panel will consider whether Dunne had knowingly ridden half a pound underweight in a novice handicap chase – which he won by two and a quarter lengths on the Ian Williams-trained Rocknrollrambo – before concealing the lead given to him by Barry Pearson.

It will also determine whether Dunne had misled the Chepstow stewards at the inquiry and purposefully failed to present himself to the clerk of the scales to be re-weighed after becoming aware his equipment had changed since weighing out.

The 34-year-old, who rode Wayward Prince to win the 2015 Scottish Grand National, has reached the 40-winner mark this season.

The recommended entry point penalty for a breach of Rule (A)30 –conduct prejudicial to the integrity of horseracing – is a £2,000 fine or suspension, withdrawal or disqualification for three months, while a breach of Rule (A) 31.2 – endeavouring to mislead an investigating officer – carries the same recommended entry point.

The panel will also consider whether Pearson passed the lead to Dunne and proceeded to mislead a BHA investigating officer on two separate occasions after the incident.

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