Evening all just reading on the racing post site that the following horses from the Howard Johnson stable have been moved to the Champion trainer. Ascendant, Doeslessthanme, Double Expresso, Hold Fast, Quwetwo and The Knoxs. So what is going on ? is Howard Johnson going to be found guilty and even if not will Wylie be moving all the horses ?
We will find out in 6 days. I assume he is going to be found guilty of something and that is why Wylie is moving a few down to Ditcheat. They know the result of the hearing but not the penalty if I read it right...
Yes Nass that is correct. Hope he is banned for life but wouldn't someone just take the "name" over with Howard Johnson still doing the work ?
Just read the article. Sod the rules, what he did makes him a bastard of the highest degree and shouldn't be let near a horse again.
Have to say this whole thing has really shocked me and, i daresay many others. HJ always semed to strike me as a decent bloke and trainer who managed to get the best out of a relatively small stable. Yeah he had his issues with jockeys etc. but everyone has their own little idosyncracies. If he's done what he's accused of then it is one of the worst cases we've ever seen and he needs to be kicked out of the sport for good - I'd also go so far as to say a criminal prosecution would be in order as well. I have my own little targets in the sport but what they've done pales into insignifance coompared with this if, indeed, it is true.
GW also mentioned sending some to Ireland,which would be a first for him.He does,however,buy a lot of PTP and bumper winners from there. RV when I read your post I thought he was sending them to Dandy Nicholls....frying pan to fire..!!
Not sure what to make of this situation, it's a case of wether you believe he is telling the truth, that he didnt realise horse's were not allowed to race after the operation. Either way he must be found guilty, it is his job as a trainer to know the rules. If he is found guilty of running the horse, whilst being aware of the rules then I feel he should get a life time ban. My gut instinct is he probably did know the rules, but you still have to take the innocent until proven guilty approach, without any hard evidence
Even if he didn't know he was breaking any rules it is still not right to be running that horse after the operation it had. Just my opinion. I was a big Howard Johnson fan but I think he should be banned for life
RV....He is not a vet, there is no guarantee he knew the dangers of running the horse after the operation. I don't want to defend him as like I say my gut instinct says he knew what he was doing, but there's still no proof he did
I had better go home and lie down in a darkened room. I find myself agreeing with King Shergar for the second time in as many weeks. Ignorance is not an excuse. He could have phoned somebody at the BHA and asked if he was not sure. This thread seems very strange as there does appear to generally be a consensus that Johnson should be made an example of so that the sport can at least claim some integrity.
Well this year has been abit of a disaster for Horse racing, and has given all these "Animal rights" protesters more ammunition to use on us. The Grand National was the biggest disaster, then we had Rewilding the other week, and the horse at Goodwood on Saturday, in the 12f handicap(can't remember the name of the horse) plus im sure there have been other incidents, so they will probably be under alot of pressure to make an example of HJ if he is found guilty
Perhaps he should have read the rules of racing - ignorance is no defence. IMO deliberate cruelty (which this amounts to) is unforgiveable
Rather than start a new thread, I thought I would append this note to the existing one on the subject. According to the report that I have just read on the BBC Sport website, Howard Johnson has been banned for four years. The breakdown of this is that he got three years for running Striking Article and one year for the three cases of anabolic steroids. This is a worldwide ban, so Johnson had better get his golf clubs out or find something else to do. Doubtless there will be those who feel that he has been treated leniently (not a lifetime ban) and those that feel that his plea of ignorance in some way exonerates him.
Well 4 years is a long ban, so I would hardly say it was lieniant, it is so long that Mr Johnson appears to have thrown his toys out of the pram and decided to retire. He's 59, he will be able to train again once he's 63, so I realy don't see why he's retired, plenty of trainers go on into there 70s. I would imagine once the 4 years are up he will reconsider the retirement. Golf course it is for Mr Johnson then, he's got more than a few quid in the bank, so I'm sure he will be taking it easy for a while. He deserved the ban, and I'm sure a few of you think he should have been punished further, let's hope those armed robbers turn up again, and finish the job this time
