British trainer who Frankie Dettori rode for fined £12,000 and banned for 90 days after breaking rules 527 times
A BRITISH horse trainer who Frankie Dettori rode for has been fined £12,000 and banned for 90 days after breaking rules 527 times.
Group 1-winning handler Dan Blacker started out working for Nicky Henderson but has been making a name for himself in California, US.
He previously said he took ‘full responsibility’ for not following rules which stated horses had to be checked by vets before workouts.
The issue came to light when a horse named Animae died after suffering an injury on a July 1 workout in Santa Anita.
Blacker, who grew up in Oxford, will be banned from February 26 to May 25 and barred from entering any licenced racing premises – including his own yard – in the state during that time.
The 527 separate incidents all fell within a period of just 18 months.
The massive fine and ban have been called ‘one of the most severe’ in recent years.
A California Horse Racing Board statement said at the time: “During a horse-fatality investigation for the horse Animae, it was found the horse did not have an examination by his attending veterinarian entered into EquiTAPS database during the 72 hours immediately preceding an official workout.
“Three out of the four official workouts listed for Animae did not have a veterinarian exam listed, including the official workout when the horse suffered the fatality.”
While Blacker said in a social media post last October: “I want to make it clear that I am in contact with my veterinary team daily.
“We jog up every horse, every day before they go to the track.
“The horses in training are thoroughly evaluated by myself, my team and my veterinarian on a daily basis.”
Dettori, who has packed up and moved to the States after performing a u-turn on his retirement, rode a winner for Blacker just last month.
Virat made it two wins in two months under Dettori at Santa Anita.
Blacker spoke of how much it meant to have the world’s most famous jockey atop one of his horses.
He said: “The horse ran well obviously, but it came down to the tactics used by Frankie.
“This win really means a lot to me.
“Back home, I would watch him from the sidelines when year after year he was champion jockey and won all the big races.”