Findlay ends his connection with Nicholls Denman's co-owners Harry Findlay and Paul Barber have mutually agreed to end their association. Professional gambler Findlay will no longer have horses with Paul Nicholls, the trainer of 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Denman. This stems from Findlay being banned for six months after being found guilty by the British Horseracing Authority of laying one of his own horses, the Nicholls-trained Gullible Gordon, on two separate occasions in contravention of the rules of racing. Findlay's appeal against the punishment will be heard in London on July 14. "Harry and I have agreed to split up, mainly to do with the situation with the BHA," said Barber. "I've said I think he has been harshly treated, but at the same time he feels very hurt by it." Denman will be owned solely by Barber, Nicholls' landlord and principal patron. Big Fella Thanks, another high-profile horse co-owned by the pair, will run in the colours of Findlay's mother, Maggie. Fourth in this year's John Smith's Grand National, Big Fella Thanks will move to Ferdy Murphy's stables in North Yorkshire. "It's great to get a horse of that calibre. It's a big boost for the yard and we're delighted to get him," said Murphy. "Harry rang me on Sunday and asked if we would take him and he confirmed it on Monday morning after he'd had a meeting with Paul Barber that the horse would be coming here. "He asked me if I would be interested in training the horse. I said I would and he said it would run in his mother's name. He said was that all right and I said OK. "It's grand, happy days. Any horse with that rating (151) is great to have." Speaking to The Times, Mrs Findlay said: "We have had horses at Ditcheat for eight or nine years and many people there will know just how honest and straight Harry is with his gambling. "Yet the support, from the place where Gullible Gordon was trained, has simply not been loud enough or strong enough."
