BHA hopes for rehearing in Jim Best case

Officials at the British Horseracing Authority believe a rehearing is the "most appropriate" step after conceding that the recent verdict in the case against trainer Jim Best would have to be discounted.

Best was banned for four years last month after the BHA's disciplinary panel found him guilty of breaching the rules regarding the running and riding of two horses in December 2015.

The handler was judged to have failed in his ''duty to secure the best possible placing'' on two occasions as well as ''conduct prejudicial to horseracing in Great Britain'' while the rider involved, Paul John, was suspended for 150 days.

Best, who maintains his innocence, almost immediately launched an appeal against the finding, with his penalty put on hold pending the outcome of a hearing on May 24.

However, it has emerged that solicitor Matthew Lohn, who was part of the disciplinary panel, has also been paid to advise the BHA on other matters, giving rise to a possible appearance of bias.

The May 24 hearing is still expected to take place and BHA spokesman Robin Mounsey confirmed the appeal will be made on bias grounds, but the authorities are keen to start the disciplinary process again from the beginning.

He said: "Having received further details concerning the appeal, and having taken advice, we have decided not to contest the appeal on the grounds of apparent bias. We are still contesting the appeal on other grounds.

"Perceptions of fairness in relation to the structure and composition of our disciplinary panels is a legacy issue and we have already agreed to tackle this in our integrity review and have already started to review the structure and composition of disciplinary panels, appeal boards and our licensing committee.

"Our view is that the most appropriate next step in this case is for there to be a rehearing before a new disciplinary panel."

The news is likely to mean at least one other guilty verdict will have to be quashed as Lohn recently also sat as chairman on the disciplinary panel that found against the Irish-based trainer Paul Gilligan.

Gilligan has also appealed that finding on the basis Lohn could not be regarded as independent of the BHA.