Too much information? Margarson upset as aroused Guest is outed by BHA

In an age when there is the expectation all information will be readily available, trainer George Margarson was left less than impressed by the BHA’s disclosure of the intimate details explaining the below-par performance of his runner Windy Guest at Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

Having trailed in ninth, beaten 27 lengths, in the 6f novice stakes, Windy Guest was reported to the stewards by jockey Tom Queally to have “ran aroused”, a statement that was posted on the BHA’s website and Twitter feed.

However, Margarson was struggling to see the funny side of it on Wednesday and promised to take the matter up with the BHA.

The BHA Stewards' explanation of Windy Guest's discomfort gained plenty of comments and retweets on Tuesday eveningCredit: BHA Twitter feed

"A lot of two-year-old colts get randy but he's actually pretty relaxed and I expected a good run," said Margarson.

"There was one filly in the race and she showed signs of being in season in the paddock. He ended up being drawn next to her in the stalls and they were next door for long enough to get him aroused.

"Tom gave the stewards the explanation, but whether you put that out on quite such a public forum is another issue. If you’re not careful you end up with the horse being labelled as something he’s not."

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Margarson said Windy Guest would be given another chance to prove Tuesday's incident was a one-off before any decision was made about a more drastic remedy, and pointed to the youthful antics of Barathea Guest in the days before he went on to finish third in King's Best's 2,000 Guineas.

"I’d like to give him one more chance before we do anything like geld him and there's a race for him at Wetherby next week," said Margarson.

George Margarson and Greenham Stakes winner Barathea Guest, who bit a stalls handler on his intended debut at twoCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Barathea Guest was one of my best-ever horses and he bit one of the stalls handlers the first time he went to run. With social media these days, I dread to think what he would have been labelled – a psycho or something – yet later in his career he would go in the stalls without being led."

A statement from the BHA said: “When a jockey provides an explanation regarding a horse’s poor performance to the stewards then, in the interests of openness and transparency for the betting public, it is a requirement that the explanation is posted on the BHA’s website.”

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