RACING was accused of descending into a ‘farce’ as a banned trainer was pictured smiling and celebrating a £39,000 win.
A High Court ruling in May saw former Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Tony Martin suspended from saddling his own runners after one of his winners tested positive for lidocaine – a cutting agent in cocaine.
Martin was originally banned for six months and fined £9,500 over the positive drugs test.
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His suspension has since been halved but he still cannot have runners in his own name until August.
So there was surprise when he was seen smiling standing next to Alphonse Le Grande following the five-year-old gelding’s victory in the Northumberland Vase last weekend.
The 2m race is the consolation race to those who couldn’t get in the Plate but still worth a hefty £39,000 to the winner.
Alphonse Le Grande officially ran under the name of trainer Cathy O’Leary – Martin’s sister.
Her last winner on the Flat came 15 years ago.
Alphonse Le Grande only needed a couple of taps inside the final furlong to win, as commentator Mike Cattermole put it, ’emphatically’.
The pair were seen hugging in the immediate aftermath of victory while Martin was shown on TV congratulating Hollie Doyle for her job in the saddle as the horse made his way back in.
Photos later showed Martin – who is banned for breaking anti-doping rules – smiling with the horse in the winner’s enclosure.
Martin’s presence at Newcastle was brought up on the Nick Luck show on Racing TV on Sunday morning.
Respected journalist Maddie Playle said him being there made a ‘farce’ of his ban – and, she alleged, of racing’s attitude to imposing it.
She said: “It’s embarrassing if we’re honest and the way it looks is just dreadful.
“What is the point, in theory, of suspending someone when they’re not really suspended?
“And when they’re credited for giving riding instructions, brought into winning photographs, hailed by owners – I think it’s a terrible, terirble look for the sport.
“Although it’s a tricky thing to police, clearly, we can and should do better.
“I thought the whole thing was just a farce to be honest.”
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