Crowe admits he's finished as trainer after seven-year ban

A SCOTS racehorse trainer admitted his career was over yesterday after being banned for seven years and fined £5,000.

Andrew Crow, 55, spoke of his shock at the severity of the sentence handed out by the British Horseracing Authority after a hearing at their London headquarters. A disciplinary panel found the Jedburgh-based handler guilty of not vaccinating horses for equine influenza. He was also found in breach of the rules of racing relating to the forging of vaccination entries.

His ban starts with immediate effect which means he is unable to attend Hamilton Races this evening. He has seven days to consider an appeal.

Mr Crow, whose son Gillon is assistant to top racehorse trainer Donald McCain, accepted he had broken the rules and had no issue with the fine but the length of the ban has hit him hard.

He said:"I did not lie or milk the situation. I was maybe misled by others who feel that some horses when they get vaccinated are knocked back. I was misguided but I held my hands up to it but did not expect this.

"I was shocked at the sentence especially when there have been cases of some people doping horses and getting a 1500 fine and no ban. It means I am finished and I will have to go back to shoeing horses or something like that. My lawyer feels it is too harsh and we are thinking about an appeal at the moment. But I have been with the Jockey Club since 1986 and have about a dozen horses at Jedburgh.

I can't even go to Hamilton on Saturday night where a horse I have been training called Orpenbid is running. I have taken it to another trainer today so it can run.

"I really hope it wins so I can at least go out on a high note.

"My only consolation is that my phone has been red-hot today with hundreds of texts from people supporting me and none of them have been negative."